The End2End team of cancer-fighting cyclists arrived in style in Port Hardy late in the afternoon on Wednesday, June 18, where the North Island was waiting to embrace them.
The 1,000-kilometre End2End bike ride is a non-stop, two-day relay from Victoria to Port Hardy and back, raising funds for the Island Kids Cancer Association, which is a registered non-profit charity that has been in existence since 2017.
North Island local Sandra Boyd, who helped organize End2End's Port Hardy stop along with Lisa Harrison, noted this is the team's inaugural ride, and the goal for their first year was to raise a total of $100,000.
"We are so close to achieving our goal," Boyd confirmed in an interview before the riders cycled into town. "It's amazing to be able to make your goal on your first year. Yeah, it's absolutely amazing."
When asked how the End2End ride was created, Boyd noted it was Andy Dunstan, one of the riders, who first came up with the idea.
"He said we should take a bike ride up there and back, and we were all like, you're nuts," she laughed. "And then, you know, it sits and it stews. And here we are, months later from the time he first had that idea and threw it into the wind."
Harrison noted it was back in December of last year when Boyd took her out for coffee and said they were creating this end-to-end cancer relay where eight riders would leave from Victoria to Port Hardy and return within 48 hours, basically riding nonstop.
She added the thing that got her to become involved was the fact that 100 per cent of the proceeds are being donated to the charity.
"None of us are getting paid," she confirmed proudly. "So I volunteered to be their social media sponsor."
Port Hardy's Acting Mayor John Tidbury was in attendance to give a quick speech as the riders pulled into the seniors' centre parking lot a little after 3 p.m.
"It's a real treat to have you here and I'm glad you've come to the North Island," he said to the riders after they had put down their kickstands. "It's going to be overwhelming to have you here, and as you saw with our fire department, we bring you in in style."
Boyd took the mic after that, telling the crew she was "so proud of you guys," and then going on to thank the many businesses who helped make the ride a reality.
"Merilee Tognela from 460 Realty, she couldn't be here today, but she did a very large, significant donation on behalf of one of our young ones in town that had passed away from cancer, so I want to thank her. Hardy Bay Seniors' Society, because this is their facility and they're an amazing group of people that always say yes when I come through the door, and I'm so grateful for that. I want to thank the Port Hardy Legion, Peggy's Kitchen, North Island Eagle, Keltic Seafoods/Pacific Seafoods, Subway, Applewood Motors, Seto's, the Whisky Jacks, and Mugz 2.0 for the cookies. These are all of the ones who jumped on board with me just simply saying, 'hey, we've got an idea,' and I'm just so proud to be a part of this community and part of the Tri-Port. It's times like this that we just shine, and it makes me even prouder."
Boyd introduced Dunstan, the lead rider whose idea it was originally to create the End2End bike ride.
"Everybody we've reached out to has offered to help and offered to help in some way and made this event what it is today on the first go," he said, "and I knew I needed to get a bunch of riders that could put up with the stresses and be flexible and fluid, you know, to get through the event with good humour and just get it done."
Dunstan then introduced the rest of his team; Chris Day, CFB Esquimalt firefighter; Steve Foster, retired RCMP officer; Bill Fry, Trek Bike Store owner; Erin Glazier, commercial realtor; Mary Griffin, CHEK news reporter; Rob McDonald, Saanich police sgt.; and Kevin Nystedt, Victoria police detective-sergeant.
"So here we are, 21 hours in, 500 kilometres," said Dunstan as he looked around at his team. "We'll be here for awhile. And then we turn around and we head right back."
Donations to help hit the $100,000 fundraising goal can be made online at End2EndCancer.com.
