Cycle for Wishes II set to ride from Montreal to Quebec City to kick-start the 2015 RIMS Canada Conference! More than $100,000 raised to-date!

In 2011 your industry friends and colleagues embarked on an inaugural four day five hundred kilometre cycle between Toronto and Ottawa to raise funds for Make-A-Wish^® and to kick start the 2011 Canadian RIMS conference. That first Cycle for Wishes team was brought together by John Haas of Integro (Canada) Ltd. and consisted of 11 enthusiastic cyclists and 4 well organized support team members.  It was a fun, rewarding and memorable experience. 

Most rewarding was that we helped grant five kids their wishes by raising over $53,000. This amount far exceeded our expectations and was only accomplished through the help of our committed corporate supporters, friends, family members and industry colleagues who all donated generously.

The Cycle for Wishes team is at it again.  On Wednesday September 23^rd over 20 insurance industry professionals from around the world will depart Montreal, and five hundred kilometers later, arrive in Quebec City on Saturday September 26^th to kick-start the RIMS Canada Conference 2015, Panorama, in Quebec City. 

Our team assembled in Montreal on Tuesday September 22nd for final preparations and would like to provide the industry this exciting update: On behalf of Make-A-Wish^® , thank you for your support! WE HAVE RAISED OVER $100,000!

As we embark upon the ride, we are still accepting team or individual team member sponsorships – please donate today via the Cycle for Wishes 2015 team page. Thank you in advance – you’re pledges keep us peddling!

Here is the ride agenda:

Wednesday Sept 23:

Start from Montreal City Hall at 8 a.m. Saddle distance this day is 106KM heading to the town of St-Ignace-de-Stanbridge. It should be a fairly easy ride- except perhaps getting out of Montreal.

Thursday Sept 24:

108KM heading to Magog, Quebec. Looks to be the most challenging day!

Day 3 and 4 (Friday and Saturday) we will average 144KM each day. Some big long climbs expected but not as bad as Thursday. We hope!

Friday Sept 25:

Destination is Victoriaville, Quebec 

Saturday Sept 26:

Arrive in Quebec City at the Taverne Grande Allee! (ETA approx. 2-3 p.m.) We have a rather long and steep downhill grade going into the city. Downhill is certainly welcomed but it is 16.5 degrees so we’ll be on brakes for sure. See you at the pub!

#cycleforwishes on the way to #rccqc15. pic.twitter.com/poo3DrmzPA

— Dave Swindells (@SwinnyRides) September 23, 2015

 

Your support will allow Make-A-Wish^® to continue to create powerful wish experience, improving a child’s state of mind, replacing fear with happiness and helping them to feel like a normal kid again.  Every donation counts and your commitment will help move Make-A-Wish^® closer to their vision of granting the wish of every eligible child in communities across Canada. Wishes like:

• • Maya, Age 4, Leukemia, “I wish to be a ballerina”
  • Rachel, Age 6, Ocular Melanoma, “I wish to have a butterfly garden”
  • Damian, Age 12, Cancer, “I wish to be a paleontologist”
  • Annabelle, Age 4, Cancer, “I wish to meet my favorite princess”
  • Owen, Age 4, Heart Condition, &ldq uo;I wish to be a firefighter”

 

Fact Sheet

• Our mission is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.
• Wish children range from ages three through 17 and must have a medical condition in a life-threatening stage. Wishes typically fall into four categories:  I wish to have; I wish to be; I wish to go, and I wish to meet.Wishes come through a referral process. Make-A-Wish^® does not solicit wishes.
• Make-A-Wish^® Canada is an affiliate of Make-A-Wish^® International, the largest wish-granting organization in the world, making dreams and wishes come true for more than 350,000 children since 1980, with the help of over 32,000 volunteers, all dedicated to helping to share the power of a wish^®! 
• Since its inception 32 years ago, Make-A-Wish and its 8 regional chapters have granted nearly 6,000 wishes to courageous children in Canada.
• As a grassroots organization more than 1,000 volunteers help deliver our wish granting mission in communities across Canada.
• In 2014, we granted close to 500 wishes from coast to coast. Today, we grant approximately one wish a day across the country.
• Make-A-Wish is an international organization with a presence in nearly 50 countries worldwide. This breadth enables us to work with Make-A-Wish affiliates around the world to make almost any wish come true.
• The impact of a wish is simply incredible:

• • • 96% of parents said the wish experience strengthened their families
    • 97% of adult former wish kids report improved mental and emotional health because of their wish experiences.
    • 79% of adult former wish kids confirm that their wish experience marked a turning point in their treatment and recovery.
    • 71% of adult former wish kids believe the wish experience contributed to saving their lives.