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!
Big thanks to Karen Chen for covering the story here: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Riding+across+Canada+Parkinson+with+video/7124757/story.html
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.ottawacitizen.com/health/story.html?id=7124758 Thanks Bruno!!
http://www.parkinsons.ca/documents/english/news/Cory_Welsh_Parkinson%E2%80%99s_Cycle_of_Hope.pdf Hilary was an incredible help!
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
