As we reach the halfway point on this amazing national ride, it’s important to understand the logistics in supporting 45 cyclists ride across the country. Splitting into 3 teams so there can be a relay race type ride to the finish, each team is provided with 1 Bunk Truck, 2 Cube trucks, 2 RVs and 1 Support van. While we pride ourselves in our hygiene and cleanliness – a 15 day trek across a country on little sleep, while supporting the national riders and keeping a smile on their faces can take its toll. And sometimes, just sometimes the support vehicles are left as an ugly sister version of its former self.
This is why we’ve created the 2nd annual “Cleanest Cabin Award”!
As hosted again by the always flamboyant Kristin Douma begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting, of Coast to Coast fame, this promises to be the biggest, baddest, cleanest cabin award to date!
Teams must now not only just think about the riders’ safety and transport them across the country, but put their hygiene at stake in this winner take all challenge. A panel of judges will check every orifice of the vehicle and scrutinize it to the last leftover Tim Horton’s coffee cup and passenger seat drool.
It is up to each team to keep their cabin neat, clean and to a healthy buff that can only be seen through the forehead of volunteer Rich Maertens.
Who’s going to win? Stay tuned – we will reveal the winner in Halifax! Godspeed cabin cleaners, godspeed.
September 8th, and the National Ride is one-day away from launch! Today, there was an Inside Ride event at B.C. Children’s Hospital. Here is one cyclist’s – Dave Swindells’ impression of the day:
“Today was a great day. We rode in our teams to the BC Children’s Hospital. The route http://connect.garmin.com/activity/48194492 was along some busy roads through Surrey, New Westminster, and Vancouver. When we arrived at the hospital there were speeches made by representatives of the key sponsor Sears Canada, Jeff Ruston, founder of the Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation, and an oncology doctor from the hospital. Their messages were the same. Childhood cancer research and treatment is chronically under funded in Canada, and the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride is a huge supporter of this cause. Then we had the honour of listening to Megan McNeil speak. This young woman has fought and beat cancer 3 times. Unfortunately she is in the middle of her fourth battle with the disease. She mentioned how many rounds of chemo and surgeries she has had and it was a mind boggling number. The thing that struck me about this incredible young woman was her conviction and confidence in her ability to beat cancer once again. It is for girls like Megan that I am riding and trying to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the children and their families who are living with and beyond cancer.
After the speeches were made we had the opportunity to participate in the crazy madness of an InsideRide. If you’ve never been to one it’s basically a 60 minute rock concert with stationary bikes.
After the InsideRide we headed back to Surrey as one large group taking up a lot of space on the roads of Vancouver. There was not one incident of a driver giving us a hard time. Most gave us all the space we needed and there were many honks of encouragement and waves and smiling faces long the way home.
Tomorrow morning this ride starts for real. We are up at 5AM for breakfast, and then head to White Rock for the Pacific wheel dipping opening ceremony. Then all of us ride to Hope, BC with 3 stops along the way. After Hope the 3 riding teams will split up and ride their portions of Canada. We’ll be together again as a group in Woodstock, Ontario for the ride to Toronto.
The adventure of a lifetime has already begun, but the heavy duty stuff begins tomorrow.”
Photos and Videos courtesy of Victor Crowl, Smile Music & Film Productions Ltd.
From top:
National Cyclists in front of hotel before heading to B.C. Children’s Hospital
On their way
Sign for B.C. Children’s Hospital
Ben the Bear (Sears Mascot for the National Ride
Our Ambassador Family (with Megan in white shirt on left)
Welcome to SNKCR 2010! We have over 40 national riders, 100′s of Ride along cyclists who will be covering over 7,000 KM from Vancouver to Halifax in 15 days! We will be stopping in over 160 locations across Canada and spreading our message: Destination Beyond Cancer!
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