Between August 11th and 13th, 18 cyclists, led by CIBC Wood Gundy Investment Advisor Gene Piccoli (the event creator), pedalled from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto to The Children’s. They were joined in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue for the last leg by another group of 18 cyclists, including Cody Belliveau—a 16-year-old cancer survivor who’d received care on Sarah’s Floor at The Children’s. Combined, they raised more than $122,000 in support of the Sarah Cook Fund at the Cedars Cancer Institute and the Haematology/Oncology divisions at both The Children’s and SickKids.  

A mere 10 km from the warm applause of the welcoming crew at The Children’s, three of the cyclists crashed as they crossed a now defunct rail track. Two were transported to our trauma centre at the Montreal General Hospital while a third went to the Jewish General Hospital. While they won’t be able to cycle for awhile, I am pleased to report that they are all recovering well. Moreover, I am grateful that their injuries were not more serious; that they were wearing protective helmets; and that they were only a short distance from the care of our top-notch professionals.

 

Many thanks to the cyclists for their courage, stamina and outstanding fundraising effort; to the support team who kept things under control throughout the ride and while awaiting the ambulances; to the generous event sponsors—CIBC Wood Gundy, Via Rail, Team 990, Kamik, Broadridge Financial, Tuck Shop and 6 o’clock trio; and to the Cedars Cancer Institute for recognizing year after year that events such as these galvanize a community on so many levels. I know it must have been hard for the three cyclists to not complete their journey, and equally difficult for the remaining group to resume the ride. However, I am sure that each cyclist came away realizing that the unexpected can strike at any time. Whether it is cancer or another life situation, the biggest lesson to be learned is to enjoy each day to the fullest.