What a great day it was yesterday for myself and my fellow cyclists across the country as well as SickKids Foundation. Yesterday, together with thousands of generous sponsors (including many of you!) and MATCHED by the ongoing generosity of the Garron family we raised $1,890,417 for the battle against childhood cancer.
We are super pumped to keep cycling and keep raising more $$ for the balance of August so that more progress can be made in helping create more positive outcomes for childhood cancer patients and their families. I'm super grateful for every dollar added to my page. Every dollar counts. Not done yet! ❤😍🚴
This is double up Wednesday for the Great Cycle Challenge where all donations up to $1.3 million will be matched by the kind generosity of the Garron Family of Toronto who lost their son Michael to childhood cancer. Michael lost his battle at the age of 13 in 1975. Michael was worried that he would be forgotten but his mom told him “As long as I'm alive, no way will you ever be forgotten."
Since then, the Garron family has donated $50 million to the hospital where Michael was born (Toronto East General) and $30 million to SickKids to revolutionize the care and treatment of children's cancer in Canada and around the world. In recent years, they have continued to give to Sick Kids by annually matching donations made on one day in August of every year. That day this year is today Wednesday August 13th. The ongoing generosity of the Garron family is a mother’s promise kept, your donation today will make you feel twice as good and help SickKids Foundation continue their efforts in the fight against childhood cancer.
1,700 kids in Canada and diagnosed with cancer every year and thousands are in treatment right now. Despite this, childhood cancer only receives 5-7% of cancer research funding. That's why I have participated in this challenge every August and why your support will make such a difference to SickKids continuing to make progress in the fight against childhood cancer. Kids should be living life and riding their bikes, not fighting for their lives.
This month, I'm riding and raising funds because there are too many kids like Michael Garron who have lost the battle and too many kids like Liam who is 9 and has battled cancer 3 times in his young life. I'm also riding and raising funds because every single day I'm grateful to have 2 healthy kids.
Thousands of my GCC colleagues from coast to coast to coast in Canada are also riding and raising funds this month - it has been a tough month of heat, humidity, wildfires, smoke, and too many evacuations. Please consider a donation to my page or someone you may know that is also riding and raising funds for SickKids. To those who have already donated this month, I am so very grateful for your support.