June 23 – Day 12
Last night we cheered on each team as they arrived in Sackville Nova Scotia. It was our own little celebration before moving on to Halifax united once again as a 36 member national team, plus all our terrific support and volunteer staff. Most of the event was spent divided into 12 member teams which traveled the country reaching out to as many communities as possible within our 12 days. We danced, cheered and caught up on each others journey’s from our own perspectives. This morning we had approximately 40km left to cycle into Halifax led by an outstanding group of officers on motorcycles. The police chief gave an amazing emotional speech before we proceeded, stating how their force has been effected by cancer as well and how we have captured the attention of the nation. It was a very emotional morning setting out for Halifax, our last ride together as a National team. The friendships I have made will last a lifetime and the experience unforgettable. I road the distance along side my friend and bunk mate Craig Senior from Ottawa, who got engaged during our stop in Montreal to his beautiful fiancé France. Craig taught me many things as did my team mates, not only about cycling but about life in general. I have been amongst people from all generations, and living and learning from these people has made me a better individual. Our morning ride saw a few more stops along the way, with the first being at the Sear’s store in Halifax. We met a young lady by the name of Hanna, who has leukemia, but is doing amazing and has just the best outlook on life. A grade 10 student and an outstanding public speaker she was a great ambassador of the cause. Our next stop was the IWK hospital in Halifax which is responsible for all cancer treatment in the Maritime provinces. It is always an ere feeling walking in a cancer treatment hospital, a place in which I never want to be again. Although they do outstanding work, the memories resurface of what my Jesse went through. I entered the building with fellow team member Ken Cross, from Kingston, who also has a daughter Megan diagnosed with cancer. Without words we knew what each other was thinking and a gesture of a hug and a tear was all that was needed. Finally it was time for our final ride to Point Pleasant Park for the end of our ride. 36 national riders complete in riding gear and in sequence, police escorts, family, friends and strangers lined the streets cheering for what we have accomplished. It was never about the ride for me, it was about the fundraising and the awareness that mattered. To date our group raised over 1.5 million dollars, the largest charitable contribution to the C17 organization which is responsible for distributing funds to the 17 Oncology hospitals across Canada. We had over 169 scheduled stops in communities across the country, a media frenzy, people stopping, clapping, and donating every step of the way. We created a hell of a lot of awareness. My personal goal is complete. As a father of a child with and inoperable brain tumor my hands where tied as to what I could do for Jesse. It has been a tough journey both emotionally and physically, but I know I made a difference, as did everyone on my team. And for that I thank everyone involved. I have heard from Oncologist’s across the country, seen where the funding goes, and heard from the children and families affected, including my own.
The ride into pleasant park was not the end, but rather the beginning of something that I will cherish for the rest of my life, as will my boys and family. My family was waiting at the finish line, and what a special moment that was. The easy part was riding, the tough part is for the children and families living with this disease. Over ten thousand children are living with this some form of this disease across our country, and 1700 are diagnosed every year. In my Southwestern Ontario where I live, 1 family every week is given the devastating news that their child has cancer. With the sound of bag pipes playing in the background we dipped our front tires into the Atlantic Ocean to compliment dipping our rear tires into the Pacific in Vancouver. Our mission was now complete. We left with 36 national riders and we arrived with 36 national riders, some beaten and bruised, road rash, and stitches, but we all made it through in one piece. We overcame extreme obstacles and adversity, with consistently strong head winds, record high temperatures, days of consistent rain, Rocky Mountain climbs, and emotions we have never encountered before…but we did it, and I couldn’t be more proud. Personally I feel like I could cycle back to Vancouver, I became stronger everyday. It was tough to say goodbye to all my new friends as we have been through so much together and all for the same cause. I don’t know if I could ever truly explain what we experience to someone not involved in our 12 day trek. My team was terrific, our chemistry outstanding, we road hard, as a team, we worked even harder to relay the message, and I am so proud of all of us. Jeff Rushton the co founder of the organization and the voice of Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation is such an amazing individual. He started out with himself and another gentlemen organizing this ride, and look where they are now. Jeff you are my hero, and thank you for allowing my family and I be a part of such an important event. I am so passionate about this cause, and I plan to be back again year after year to continue the support, until one day it is no longer needed. The experience was out of this world. I know we made a difference, I saw it, lived it, and experienced it through my own eyes.
We will be staying in Halifax until Sunday the 28th for some fun time with the boys, looking forward to some sleep and relaxation time.
Thank you everyone for all your support. Donations for the ride can still be made online at www.searsnationalkidscancerride.com, pledge a rider and click on my name, offline at the Bicycle Shop on Front St. in Sarnia, or at Play it Again sports at the Lambton Mall in Sarnia.
