Thursday 20 September 2012

Kingston to Halifax & Highlight Stops Between!


I sat down today trying to imagine how I was going to cover everything that have happened since my last blog. The truth is, I probably won’t be able to cover everything, because I actually can’t believe the support Parkinson’s Cycle of Hope has received. It is overwhelming on a daily basis, but please send me an email: welshc@uwindsor.ca or call me at 519-300-2027 if I have failed to include something….I apologize in advance & I would appreciate the friendly reminder ;)

I am currently writing this from a hotel in Edmundston, New Brunswick, which is a long ways away from my last blog in Kingston, Ontario….Anyways, the roads have been much more bike friendly and things have picked up quite a bit!

Brockville, ON was my first stop after Kingston and I met people from the Parkinson’s support group at the local Kelsey’s Restaurant. We were greeted by the Brockville Recorder & SNAP Brockville, who both made time to cover our story! Next, we enjoyed free appetizers from Kelsey’s and then got an unexpected surprise from a regular patron….he covered the meal for everyone!!!!
Here is a photo of the folks who took their time to catch up with us at Kelsey’s Restaurant


After dinner, we spent the evening with Yvonne and David, who treated us very well!
David and Yvonne woke up extra early and hooked us up with some tasty pancakes….I don’t think they could believe how much food I can eat haha!! 

We were up early this morning so we could be in Ottawa to get my bike fixed before a meeting at city hall. My buddy, Jason Ruypers, works at Fresh Air Experience in Ottawa and he was expecting us.

Jason got the biked all cleaned up and we were on our way to city hall. Hilary works for the Parkinson Society responsible for the Ottawa region, and she worked very diligently to organize a gathering of people who have been affected by Parkinson’s in Brockville and Ottawa. Hilary was able to get The Ottawa Citizen to cover the story, Councillor Diane Deans spoke to the crowd about her personal connection to PD, & the Mayor all stopped by too!! Councillor Diane Deans has a personal connection to Parkinson’s disease and she presented me with a certificate for Parkinson’s Cycle of Hope….I was honoured!! Mr. Mayor not only stopped by, but he gave everyone present a wonderful tour of city hall J

photos from today will be posted soon!


That evening we went for dinner with my family!

Our Next Stop was Lachute QC, where we were greeted by several folks at the City Hall…The mayor of Lachute has been there for 25 years, and he presented us with $200 from the City of Lachute, as well as another $160 he wrangled up from people passing by. Next, we had another wonderful  evening with Francinne and Bruce Dobbie, and friends.

From Lachute, we would change our route to be with people who knew what Parkinson`s disease was all about (Not that the original towns don`t have people with Parkinson`s…we just couldn`t contact them).

 I cycled right through Bethierville to a city called Trois-Rivieres. We met up with Anne-Marie, who works at the Parkinson Society responsible for Trois-Rivieres, and a few men who are connected to  Parkinson`s. We met at the Days Inn Trois-Rivieres because this hotel was kind enough to donate a room to Rob and I. http://www.daysinn.com/hotels/quebec/trois-rivieres/days-inn-trois-rivieres/hotel-overview?reg=Local-_-all-_-DI-_-all&cid=IP_Local&wid=local


We all went out for dinner, where we spent the time trying to understand each other! Regardless of our language barrier, we had a great time and we were able to make fairly clear conversation (Only because they spoke decent English).

After Trois-Riviere, we headed to Quebec City because a man named Roger was working at the Parkinson Society responsible for that district and told us he would make it a good spot to stop! 

Although it was out of the way, Roger didn`t let us down….we were put up in a nice hotel, he and his girlfriend treated us to a nice meal, and then we reunited in the morning for breakfast with the Quebec City Parkinson`s Support group…The two big newspapers showed up to help spread awareness throughout Quebec!!! 

Roger devoted his entire weekend to taking care of Rob and I, and he does a wonderful job of bringing attention to Parkinson`s disease! I need to see if I can get some photos from him!!

Next stop, Riviere du Loup to stay with Jacque Lemieux ! River du Loup is almost 200km`s away from Quebec city, but I had a tail wind that actually allowed me to achieve that distance without much energy.

Jacque speaks French, and Rob and I both speak English. Communication was tricky but we got by with translation applications on my phone! Jacque showed us to his trailer, which was in a very nice campground, and said, ``YOURS`` We were not quite sure what was going on, but the lady working at the front desk of the campground was able to translate for us….she also has family members who have Parkinson`s so she donated $20!!! Anyways, Mr. Lemiex put us up for the night in his campground and I truly enjoyed trying to communicate with him! 

The van started making a pretty loud clicking noise before we arrived in Riviere du Loup, so I wanted to get it looked at by a mechanic ASAP….of course the language barrier was a problem, but Jacque explained our situation to the mechanic, and I basically handed him my credit card at what I thought was the end of the repair. The mechanic simply said in English: NO CHARGE & then handed me $20! I couldn`t believe what I was experiencing, and I will never forget the kindness of that man….people helping people, what else can be said!

I smiled at Jacque, stuttered merci and au revoir, and then Rob and I shook his hand goodbye. I`m not sure if either of us knew exactly what was happening, but I hope I was able to tell Jacque I greatly appreciated his kindness!

Another big ride, with awesome tail winds, pushed me to Edmundston New Brunswick a day early. We camped that night, and Rob and I went into town to grab a bite to eat. I received an email while in town that said….I thought maybe you and your buddy may want a bite to eat, so I left grilled cheese, pickles, and oranges for dessert in your tent….another act of kindness!!! Although, I was a little worried we may be heading back to a tent full of critters beating us to the snack.

We got absolutely hammmmmmmmered by thunderstorms, but we woke up without a tree on the tent and went on with our day! 

Bob Cyr is very involved with the Parkinson`s group in Edmundston, and I need to apologize for dropping the ball today. I didn`t clearly communicate my arrival time to Bob, so I missed out on the opportunity to meet with the people I want to meet with most. Bob assured me not to worry about it, but I wanted to clarify that I deeply apologize.

Moving on, Edmundston treated us incredibly! We were given a complimentary stay at the Comfort Inn. http://www.comfortinn.com/hotel-edmundston-canada-CN240, Pizza Delight hooked us up with an unreal free dinner for two: http://www.pizzadelight.com/12-restaurants-edmundston.html, and the Atlantic Superstore gave us $20 to buy lunch! Thank you Edmundston for supporting Parkinson`s Cycle of Hope on as a community effort!!!!!

On a side-note

A very special event is taking place near my hometown today.

http://www.facebook.com/events/456135247741537/  This is a link to Lyncoln`s Ride, “Pedal for Papa”. This little guy rode with me in Kitchener and has had a huge impact on me. 

He asked his parents why his grandpa’s hand was shaking, but they didn’t know how to explain Parkinson’s disease to a 3 year old. Lyncoln, being the determined boy he is, decided to directly tell his grandpa he wanted his hand to stop shaking when he held it, thus Pedal for Papa emerged! I'm pretty sure that everyone would agree that Lyncoln brings a welcomed young smile everywhere he goes!

I try to include the articles from people helping spread the word about Parkinson’s Cycle of Hope, but I am glad to say that people are writing articles without even contacting me…they just want to help & I thank them for it even if I don`t know about it!!!! Here are a few that we know of:

http://www.parkinson.ca/site/c.kgLNIWODKpF/b.8271211/k.597D/Stories_from_the_Front__Cory_Welsh.htm  Big thanks to Parkinson’s Society Canada, & all the provincial Parkinson Societies for their enthusiastic support!



http://www.parkinsonmaritimes.ca/inner.php?page=142&sub=237  The Parkinson Society Maritime Region has been working with us for awhile now…Sarah Maynard is working hard to help this ride & still plan the SuperWalk!!! I greatly appreciate the support prior to our arrival! 




A few more!

L'Echo De Trois-Rivieres
·         wellington advertiser
·         Snap kitchener/waterloo
·         WestShore Media
·         Cambridge Times
·         Brian St.Denis Photography
·         Snap Halifax
·         TVA Nouvelles
·         TVC D`Argenteuil –Thanks for interviewing us in Lachute QC -Andree-Anne Lefebvre
·         La Regional- Thank you Francis Legault
·          



Next stop, Woodstock, NB!

I must thank Lorna and Ryan for inviting us to stay the night in Woodstock because it was a great spot to stop that wasn't in our plans!

Woodstock’s Parkinson’s Support Group is small but mighty and welcomed us into their town with a $500 donation to Parkinson’s Cycle of Hope!!! We stayed the night at the Delong’s residence, where we enjoyed a tasty dinner, great company, and a good night’s sleep. The girls even managed to get Rob to throw a few words into the conversation (An inside joke for anybody who knows Rob).

I would have loved to stay another night with the Delong family; however, Esther, from the Parkinson’s Society Maritime Region, and Kate, the Fredericton Parkinson’s Support Group Leader had big plans for us in Fredericton. So, we said our goodbyes and I pushed my way to Fredericton.

Esther heard I was a peanut butter NUT, so she surprised me with all kinds of PB goodies waiting for me at the Lakeview Inn and Suites, where she was able to get a room donated for our night’s stay! http://www.lakeviewhotels.com/hotels-packagespromotions.php?entry_id=3159

Kate and Ester worked hard to organize a BBQ fundraiser just off one of Fredericton’s many beautiful bike paths! This city has over 84km’s of trail system winding throughout the city and it certainly invites healthy activities to shine. The BBQ was wonderful! They were able to raise $123 for Parkinson’s research, I ate way more than I should have, and I got a chance to chat with the individuals from this Parkinson’s Support Group. Big thanks to the Daily Gleaner for catching up with us today!

I'm still working on trying to get some photos from our time in Fredericton, so I would love to include your photo if you email it to me!



Ester picked me up in the morning, so we could head into the studio of Fred FM to share what Parkinson’s Cycle of Hope is all about…Thank you Ester for everything you did for us J 

Sussex is a small town, BUT man-oh-man are they lucky to have Leona on their team! Leona had every aspect covered to make our arrival into Sussex a memorable one! A huge team effort between her and All Seasons Restaurant made for a very very wonderful stay. We were able to stay in the All Seasons Inn that night, and we only had to walk about 30 feet to join a great crew of people for dinner at the All Seasons Restaurant. Truly a pleasure to meet you all & keep collecting those pennies!




Here is a link to the ALL Seasons Inn & Restaurant: http://www.allseasonsinn.ca/

Check out the lunch Leona packed for us! 


Another beautiful day of cycling brought us to Amherst, NS…The traffic was a little hectic, due to the long weekend, but Robby and I made it safely to Amherst, where we set up camp for the night at Loch Lomond Campground. 

Everyone at this campground was super kind and offered all kinds of things to Robby and I. To anyone reading this blog that we met that night, thank you!

A little Side-note: 

 I wouldn't say I have met a great deal of people cycling across Canada (4), but from the people who I have met, they generally say they would never pay to stay at a campsite.

This is what I suggest to anyone considering a ride like this….if you can, take time prior to your departure to map your trek out and find safe places to stay.

I remember thinking it would be cool to just hop on a bike and make my way across Canada without any real plans; however, I am now thankful for the work we put into trying to make this trip as organized as possible. If you are cycling to prove to yourself that you can live of the basic necessities, then all power to you, but I was cycling to raise money and awareness for Parkinson’s disease and squatting for the night isn’t the way to do that.

Biking across Canada is an experience in itself, but the satisfaction of seeing people work together throughout the entire country to make one dream come true is spectacular. I can’t describe how incredible it is to be able to stay with people who are living with Parkinson’s disease. Although sometimes difficult, a life changing experience I would never have experienced sleeping behind a tourism building. Yes, sometimes forking up $20-40 to sleep in a campground for a few hours seemed mind-boggling; however, I met a lot of people at campgrounds who were interested in Parkinson’s Cycle of Hope. I guarantee you will A) Meet many interesting people B) find people want to donate to/support your cause C) be able to close your eyes knowing you are much safer than sleeping behind the Tim Horton’s in some random town.

Back on Track:

From Amherst, I would head to Stewiacke, NS. I met up with two great guys from the local hockey & baseball team, as they rode & ran into town with me. 

We were meeting up with a few people, and I was surprised to see my mom and dad pop out from behind a tree. It was nice to finally meet Sarah Maynard, from the Parkinson’s Society Maritime Region, because she has been going way above and beyond her call of duty to help us. We all socialized while eating an awesome cake supplied by the Foodland in Stewiake, then we made our way to Shirley and John's house where we had a great meal cooked by their son Darren! A big thanks to Sherry for helping put this together. 




I stayed the night with Shirley and John, while we were lucky enough to send Robby to The Nelson House Bed and Breakfast just down the road. Here is the website for that cozy B&B...we greatly appreciate their goodwill! http://www.thenelsonhousebb.com/

We reunited in the morning and then set off for Halifax! 

Today’s ride was going to be a short one, but Rob and I were extremely excited to see if I would make it without a flat tire! I had mixed emotions about today being the last day, because I have enjoyed meeting everyone so much, and I feel like my body is only now ready to bike across Canada.

We arrived in Halifax and we met my dad and mom at the Courtyard Marriott. We had a busy agenda over the next few hours, so we made our way to the beach, where we were to meet CBC, CTV, and the Halifax Parkinson’s Support Group!

My dad and I were interviewed by CTV first, then CBC filmed me dipping my tires in the Atlantic Ocean…these by the way, were the same set of tubes and tires that were dipped in the Pacific because I didn’t receive a flat tire the entire trip (HOW CRAZY IS THAT)!!! Guess Revolution Bicycle Shop and Wawanosh Watercraft were right when they said this bike was durable! 

I could see a big group of people waiting by the water, with a Welcome to Halifax sign, so we made our way over to see what the fuss was about. It was awesome to be welcomed to Halifax by everyone who was there and it was great to eat some more cake and share some more stories with the folks there! 




Today I met Peter Davidson, who is a motivational speaker. David has PD and this is a link to his website. I want to share it with you, because he does a great job focusing on the positive! http://peterdavison.ca/adversity.html

Huge thanks to Sarah Maynard and Mr. & Mrs. Shaw. for taking such great care of my parents this weekend in Halifax. My parents had to fly home today, but Elyse, Rob, and I were able to enjoy Halifax for a day and a half. 

We were lucky enough to be able to attend a “End of the Road”-Benefit Concert hosted at the Red Stag Tavern…This event was organized by Sarah Konowal and Steve Luxton, and they had 4 great performers come together to raise money by donation! The event was not only a great way to relax with friends at the end of this ride, but they also raised $360 for Parkinson’s research. Thanks for taking the initiative to set up this event guys!

Link to the event page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/342613585827278/





The remainder of the time in Halifax was literally spent relaxing at the Courtyard Marriott and then wandering to the boardwalk to feast on some fresh seafood. We were also treated to breakfast by Bob Shaw! 

Huge thanks to Frank for hooking us up with the rooms at the Courtyard Marriott! Pretty fancy accommodations for us three, but it was greatly appreciated!!! Here is a link to this hotel…a great stay for anyone thinking about travelling to Halifax! http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/yhzcy-courtyard-halifax-downtown/

Rob agreed to take a train from Halifax to London, ON where our buddy would then pick him up 34 hours later! I can’t thank this guy enough for joining me for the last part of the ride…he is a trooper and I owe him one for sure!

As Rob was homeward bound on a train, Elyse and I made the trek back in the van. We dropped Robby off at noon and managed to be in Edmunston, NB before dark. We stayed the night, but we were back on the road for 4AM because we needed to be in Mississuaga for 4pm. We had rain, fog, and dark skies to drive through for the first three hours, which is not too comforting when flashing “Danger Moose Crossing Signs” are everywhere, but we made it to Mississauga safely!

The next day we drove from Mississauga to Sarnia, so we could be part of the Sarnia-Lambton SuperWalk on Sunday, which was well worth it! This event has been organized by John Scott for something like 17years and he certainly does a great job! 

The SuperWalk was hosted at Stokes By The Bay and close to 300 people came out to the walk! I forget the amount raised, but I believe it was somewhere between $30 000- $35 000! 

Madeline McNair is completing her Master of Arts and Journalism at the University of Western Ontario, and she contacted me about doing a story on Parkinson's Cycle of Hope. Her timing was impeccable, because we were able to tie in Parkinson's Cycle of Hope & SuperWalk in one shot! I'm looking forward to seeing what she creates, and I want to thank her and her team for catching up with us!


Each year butterflies are released to remember those who have passed from the Parkinson's community.




Thus far Parkinson’s Cycle of Hope has raised over $45 000, donations are still trickling in, and we are waiting to hear how much money our Pro Oil Change Sponsorship Program raised! Above and beyond the money raised for Parkinson’s research, we feel a sense of community has been created, and together we have been able to spread awareness about Parkinson’s disease throughout Canada!

I don't think Parkinson's Cycle of Hope would have been much more than an idea, if it wasn't for the support from our sponsors:

Pro Oil Change set us up with their Nationwide Sponsorship Program. Make sure to mention Parkinson's Cycle of Hope or Parkinson's Society to have 13% of your bill donated to the Parkinson's Society!! Huge thanks to John and Logan back home in Sarnia!

Intensity Customs donated all the vehicle graphics for the van & hooked us up with a great price on Parkinson's Cycle of Hope wristbands...Thanks man!!!

Purdy's Fish Market welcomed the idea of an "All You Can Eat" fish & chips fundraiser hosted @ Purdy's Dockside Eatery! Purdy's supplied the fresh fish & Ken's Valu Mart supplied a ton of fries!! 

Team Outfitters supplied Parkinson's Cycle of Hope shirts throughout the summer! Dave hill is a great guy and his shirts are top notch! 

Mobile WaterBoy put on a fantastic car wash and donated all funds to us! Chad is one of the hardest working guys I know, and I would recommend you contact him for any hardworking job! Thanks Chad!!

Revolution Bicycle Shop & Wawanosh Watercraft are a combined store tucked away on the corner of Blackwell and Blackwell in Sarnia. John and James are super easy going, VERY knowledgeable, skilled, and they supplied the bike and gear needed to get me going! Thanks guys!! 

ESSO hooked us up with $2 500 worth of gas cards to cover the fuel for the entire trip! They fuel the worlds toughest jobs & I was jacked to have them fuel Parkinson's Cycle of Hope support van! 

I truly can't thank these folks enough for sponsoring Parkinson's Cycle of Hope. Please support your local businesses, because I know they will be the few businesses to support you! All of these sponsors are experts in their fields and you will only get the best by going to them!!! 

I personally went to business after business & wrote letter after letter to companies throughout North America, and local businesses helped the most! It makes sense to help your neighbours!

Big thanks to the local media and reporters back in my hometown of Sarnia-Lambton for keeping everyone updated! Heather Kok Wright, Doug Furtney, The Observer, and Blackburn Radio were awesome!!!

I also want to thank my friends and family for stepping up to the plate and doing everything they could to raise money and awareness! 

Elyse, Robby, and my dad won't ever understand how much I appreciate their support! They are  crucial parts of this ride!




Thank you Nicola and Mike for lending us the van for the summer!! This kept costs down substantially!!! 


I simply biked across Canada with a goal in mind, but Parkinson’s Cycle of Hope needed you to make it a success. Thanks to each and every one of you reading this right now! 

We will continue to accept donations for a few more weeks, and I will certainly leave the Parkinson’s Cycle of Hope Facebook and Twitter accounts active. I think we have a good thing going and together we can certainly achieve more. 

This is only a stepping stone towards a healthy, happy, and active life for everyone; however, I want to thank everyone who supported Parkinson's Cycle of Hope. Hope is a one powerful four letter word. Hope brought all of us together, and I have faith that one day our world will be Parkinson's disease free. I believe in miracles.

For now, 

Keep smiling,

Cory 




Sunday 19 August 2012

Highlights from Pancake Bay to Kingston

Rather than writing about the weather and how my bike ride went, I am going to simply focus on what I feel is more important-My cycling is always up and down and I always get to where I need to go; likewise, the weather is variable but for the most part has treated me well. So, here are some of the highlights to bring everyone up to date.



The Lund family treated Elyse and I very well in Sault Ste. Marie. Brett Lund grew up with Elyse's dad and they are still great friends, so I think Elyse really enjoyed finally meeting them. 

Brett put a good word in with the Northern Ontario CTV-Sault Ste. Marie crew & we woke up to an interview from Jairus who works for CTV. I am jacked that Brett took the time to get a crew member to share our story and Jairus created a nice awareness piece. 

A very special part of this clip is when Jack shares his view of living with Parkinson's. Pleasure meeting you Jack!! 


Highway 17 is known as one of Canada's most treacherous highways to cycle on and it lived up to its nasty reputation. I was actually forced onto the gravel shoulders 7 times and took a real nice fall. Luckily I escaped only with minor scrapes. 




We camped in Thessalon and Massey and then caught the Chicheemaun Ferry a day early, due to winds that were up to 50km/h from my tail, so I surprised my family just south of Tobermory at my Uncle and Aunts cottages on Myles Bay. 

I went back to Tobermory the next day because a good group of family, friends, and other supporters said they would be there to cheer me on. We were also joined by a town councillor named Ray! 




I couldn't have been more excited to see my family and friends at the cottages, and I was pumped to be able to spend the weekend with them....here is a link to a few pictures of the crew! 

"THE SWITCH" HAPPENED THIS WEEKEND"

Elyse has dedicated a huge chunk of her summer to Parkinson's Cycle of Hope and it wouldn't have been possible without the dedicated support of her and her family. Elyse is heading to Portugal for a vacation with her grandma and grandpa, so one of my great buddies, Rob Clare, has stepped up to taking over the role of support driver! 

Thank you Elyse! 

From Tobermory, Rob and I headed to Owen Sound, where we were staying the night at a friend's family cottage. Rob and I are super close with the Nisbet family, so we were both looking forward to spending some time at their cottage. 

My neighbour's cousin, Carol, met me on my ride to Owen Sound and biked to city hall with me where we met Lucia from the Parkinson's Society, a dignitary from the city, and Bruce from the Owen Sound Parkinson's Support Group! 

I stopped at a local automotive shop to inquire about a much needed oil change for the van, and we were surprised by a complimentary oil change from 

Culp's Service Station Ltd. 

Thank you!!!! 


Marty and Gail cooked a fantastic fire-grilled meal that night, and we caught up on what we have missed over the summer. I also snuck back into town to meet Louise Parisotto, who had driven from Port Elgin to hook me up with some unreal Saucony shirts. Louise and her sister, Annette, are quite the athletes and I am super thankful that they are hooking me up with such great clothing.

Owen Sound to Cambridge is about 160 km's and I was expected there by three, so Rob and I woke up at 4:30am to make sure we would be there on time...The wind was on my side and I managed to get there a few hours early!

Today was a special day. Do you remember what you were doing when you were three? Well Lyncoln Peters is one special three year old who I have been looking forward to meeting for a few months now. Lyncoln's grandfather has Parkinson's disease and he has been involved in all kinds of fundraisers because he wants to help his grandpa. Here is a link to a great picture:http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100323268999357&set=t.501365126&type=3&theater


I was lucky enough to be joined by Lyncoln and his dad today as we biked to Moose Winooski's with my dad, sister, and Don (my aunts mate)! The Waterloo Police gave us a great police escort to make sure everyone was safe from the busy Tri-City traffic! 

We arrived to Moose Winooski's where fifty or so individuals were there for a Parkinson's Cycle of Hope BBQ, donated by the Kitchener Moose Winooski's!!!! Here is a link to Moose Winooski's and I can't thank Bill enough for donating this fantastic BBQ & $250!!! http://www.charcoalgroup.ca/main9.cfm#

Today's event was awesome! We had Tri-City dignitaries there, lots of Parkinson Society Workers, and people from various areas! Big thanks goes out to Shelley Ralf and Jessica Halls for organizing this event which raised some Parkinson's awareness, along with $695.76 for Parkinson's research. 

 Jennifer Robin Robles wrote an excellent awareness piece on her blog- Ingamer Sports Blog...Check it out! http://blog.ingamer.com/2012/08/cycle-of-hope-trip-of-lifetime.html








Rob and I stayed the night with Mrs. Chaplin-Leitl and her daughter, who were both very kind and hooked us up with great meals, conversation, and a good night's sleep!

Kitchener to Woodbridge

Back roads to Woodbridge treated me well, and then Rob and I met up with our hosts for the night in Bolton ON. Christina and Steve Moricz offered their home to us because Christina had previously worked for the Parkinson Society Southwestern Ontario, and PD was something near and dear to their hearts. Christina actually implemented a program called PEP, which was a manual that taught professionals how to better understand and work with individuals who have Parkinson's! 

The Moricz were top notch like any of our previous hosts, and we even got to attend the Motorcycle night they run at St. Louis Bar and Grill in Bolton. The Motorcycle crew is called Hurt'N Old Guys and they were more than welcoming. They even donated to our cause!




Woodbridge to Bowmanville by far had the busiest roads I have seen, and I could do without ever having to go near that area again in my life...the drivers were AWFULLLL. I have nothing positive to say about today other than we were given a great complimentary stay at the Cedar Camp Resort, which was a very nice campground/resort, owned by extremely nice people. Here is a link to their website and I suggest you look them up...especially if you have children! http://www.cedarparkresort.ca/

Next stop, Trenton!

We met up with Robin and Jacque, who ride a tandem bicycle, and we were given a police escort by Constable Laylund (apologize if the spelling is incorrect). 



We arrived at city hall, where we were greeted by LOTS of wonderful people who cheered us on and made Parkinson's Cycle of Hope very memorable. I was also given a certificate from a member of the Trenton dignitary for Parkinson's Cycle of Hope. 

Trenton is a super nice town, and I enjoyed everything from time I entered the town to the time I left! We stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Brown, who hosted a gathering back at their home. These folks were all very kind and Mr. Brown was very knowledgeable about Parkinson's disease. He truly appeared to know the disease inside and out. 

Something worth noting was a discussion I had with someone who had Parkinson's. He said, "Parkinson's is a lifelong commitment that you don't choose. You get chosen by luck of the draw...we don't know what causes it or why it chooses you, but one thing we know for sure is that it is a progressive disease without a cure."

One thing he also mentioned was that you may as well throw all schedules out the door because everything depends on how the medication reacts with your body. 

Trenton to Kingston

We took highway 33 from Trenton to Kingston and it was a beautiful ride through vineyards and orchids along Lake Ontario. We are staying Saturday and Sunday with Elyse's friend Katherine.

While I was cycling towards Kingston, the Minielly family members were working hard in Wyoming ON. Today they held a Parkinson's Cycle of Hope BBQ in the Foodland Parking lot and their hard work raised $821!!!!! The Minielly family also donated $100 above that! Mr. & Mrs. Minielly thank you so much! I should also thank the owner of the Wyoming Foodland for surprising the Minielly family with donating all the products for the BBQ today. Unreal to see people coming together!






Here are a few photos from today: 

Actually, we only 15 days left! Can you believe this cross country ride is nearing the end. This week has been a week filled with great people, events, and memories that have helped us bring awareness to Parkinson's disease and bring us a little bit closer to our $50 000 goal. Check out the new total all you folks have helped reach: http://psc.r-esourcecenter.com/personalevent/Personal_Event.aspx?c=IXYOc3EPYEc9TVpo