7 Days in May ride raises funds to fight pancreatic cancer

The 7 Days in May cycling event will once again raise awareness about pancreatic cancer. The 1,100-km fundraiser ride around Lake Ontario will be held from May 3 to 9, beginning and ending in Mississauga, Ont.

“We are going into the third year of a weeklong, around Lake Ontario ride that raises funds for pancreatic cancer clinical trials,” said Vicki Trottier, a participant in this year’s event. “Last year, we raised $32,000, which we presented, by bike, to the Canadian Cancer Society.”

Organizers hope to raise funds to help find a cure for pancreatic cancer. The survival rates of the disease have not improved in the past 40 years with 95 per cent of those diagnosed dying in the first five years. It is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Canada, according to the event website, 7 Days in May.

Gord Townley started the event in 2012, following the passing of his mother, Lorraine, the previous year from a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. Townley’s goal is to honour his mother’s memory and help raise awareness and funds to help with pancreatic research and the development of a cure.

Participants can visit the event website to register for the 25-, 50- and 75-km rides held on May 3 in Calgary, Vancouver and Mississauga. There is also a 155-km event from Mississauga to Cobourg, Ont., held on the same day. The full seven-day event around Lake Ontario begins on May 3 and concludes on May 9 in Mississauga.