Three Abbotsford residents are participating in a cycling event in August to raise money for The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto.
Bob and Heather Spencer and Carl Forde are each participating in the Great Cycle Challenge.
Founded in 2016, the challenge has grown to become one of the biggest cycling events in the country.
Participants are asked to set a cycling goal for August and log their kilometres throughout the month.
In eight years, riders from all provinces and territories have ridden 24.2 million kilometres, raising more than $47 million for research, care and the development of better treatments and cures for childhood cancer.
Heather’s goal is to ride 125 kilometres and raise $2,500. Bob’s goal is to ride 350 kilometres and raise $1,000.
The couple are no strangers to the annual challenge. This is Bob’s seventh year participating, and Heather’s sixth.
Together, they have ridden almost 3,000 kilometres over the years, bringing in more than $24,000.
Heather said they ride in honour of her sister, Barbie, whom she lost to cancer at age three.
Forde has ridden more than 12,000 kilometres in the previous seven years he has participated and raised more than $10,000. His goal this year is to ride 1,300 km and raise $2,000.
He said he continues to participate so that treatments can be developed and a cure can be found for childhood cancer.
The SickKids Foundation was established in 1972 and is the largest charitable funder of child-health research, and one of the world’s best pediatric health-care institutions.
Donations can be made online to the Abbotsford participants by searching their names at greatcyclechallenge.ca.
Those wanting to participate themselves can visit the website for more information.
