Road to Rehab charity ride rolls out on Aug. 14

Fourteen years ago, two close friends, Les Wiens and Cal Higgins, had an idea. Both senior investment representatives with Investors Group in Winnipeg, they had witnessed first-hand the positive impact of the Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation. Eager to help in whatever way they could, they took to their bikes.

As tends to be the case with big ideas, though, it didn’t stop with Wiens and Higgins. Routes planned and mapped out, lodgings booked, and a coterie of friends and colleagues in tow, the two biked thousands of kilometres, meeting many of the kids they set out to help. Inspired, the momentum carried them for thousands of kilometres more for 14 years, right up to the present. Today, the philanthropic ride—called the Road to Rehab—has raised $175,326.18 for the Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation, helping scores of Manitoba children throughout the years.

This August, it happens again.

“I can’t believe it has been 14 years,” said Wiens, looking back on the event’s history. “We get a group of friends together and have a lot of fun, and somehow there are children whose lives are a little better because of it. It is extremely rewarding, but honestly, it isn’t doing anything special. We just are fortunate to be in a space that allows us to do what we do.”

Wien’s humility aside, the impact of the Road to Rehab can’t be overstated. The Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation of Manitoba is supported entirely by special events, grants and donations, with the funds raised by the Road to Rehab going toward specialized equipment for children with special needs—wheelchairs, special bikes, speaking devices and others. The Foundation’s activities also support recreation programs for kids with disabilities and special needs, such as music therapy, day camps, cooking clubs and more.

This year, on Aug. 14, the annual ride leaves Winnipeg and heads to Birds Hill Park, Man., with a goal to raise $20,000 for the foundation. And as with that first ride years ago, participants will once again have the chance to meet the children and families they’re supporting.

“Les and Cal are true examples of the gift of philanthropy,” said Christine Schollenberg, executive director of the Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation. “They give from the heart and have been instrumental in supporting so many children and youth with the opportunity to enjoy the freedom of riding a specialized bike for the first time.”