Wounded Warriors Canada Battlefield Bike Ride raises $500,000
Participating cyclists, all active and retired Canadian Forces members, followed a route through the historic battlefields of World War I.
As cycling tours go, the long-haul ride through the countryside of western Europe that started on June 13, taken by over 80 cyclists, was one to remember.
The tour followed a nearly 600 km route through France, Belgium and the Netherlands, starting at the Vimy Ridge Memorial and tracing the footsteps of Canadian soldiers through the battlefields of World War I. Participating cyclists, all active and retired Canadian Forces members themselves, were riding in this year’s Wounded Warriors Canada Battlefield Bike Ride, a charity tour organized to support their ill and injured fellow servicemembers, veterans and families.
This year, with the support of Cérvelo Canada, the Battlefield Bike Ride raised $500,000, earmarked for Wounded Warriors Canada’s various programs and services. Significantly, those services support mental health, particularly with respect to post-traumatic stress disorder — an all-too-common ailment.
“The care, compassion and generosity of this team has been nothing short of amazing,” said Scott Maxwell, Wounded Warriors Canada’s executive director, commenting on the 2015 ride as it neared its conclusion. “For the last seven months our participants have committed themselves to helping the living by raising an incredible $500,000 in support of the life changing programs we fund across Canada.”
“We leave Europe united as one team,” he saif. “On behalf of Wounded Warriors Canada, we are entirely grateful for their commitment to our veterans and their families.”
