Tour For Kids

Use this forum to post suggestions and comments about the Tour For Kids. This is also the perfect forum to challenge individuals and businesses to surpass your fundraising accomplishment!

Please send your entries along with your name and email address to contact@tourforkids.com with the subject line "Tour for Kids Guestbook Entry ".

08/19/2008

To the organizers, volunteers and all of the riders that took place in this year's event, thank you for an experience that went beyond my expectations. To be surrounded by such caring and giving individuals for four days was a life enhancing experience. It was an honor to be included in something of this magnitude and an even bigger honor to make a difference in the life of a child and his/her family during their battle with cancer.

SD
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Beatles, Abbey Road = "the love you take, is equal to the love you make".
Many thanks, yet again, for giving us the chance to give.

DM
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Thanks to the marshals. Once again you made this ride a memorable and safe experience. This is my 4th T4K and is up there as one of the best.

To all the special volunteers who scarified 4 days, we couldn't have done it without you. You put up with so much and do it with a smile.

To the T4K organization, you guys rock! You put together a fabulous 4 days and remind us all the way through why we're doing it and who we're here to support. Thank you.

Lastly, to Investors Group, your support of this very important fund raising event means the world. Thank you!

Riding into Mississauga as a group reminds me that it takes all of us to support these three fabulous camps. Who knew we could ride through torrential rain and hail - I couldn't have done it without the riders around me - thank you.

JB
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This was the 3rd time I’ve been able to participate in the tour and once again have been blown away. The riders, the organization, and of course the volunteers were all incredible. Thanks to those who worked effortlessly to help the riders, from the aid station crews to the behind the scenes elements that we never see due to their workload. And thanks to the guys I spend 4 days with. The riding was epic. I’ll be back next year again and hopefully with more sponsor money.

RW
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Just wanted to take a quick moment to thank you guys for allowing me the privilege of marshalling the Tour for Kids.

This was a wonderful experience for me, and I totally felt in my 'element', coaching people, helping them out with quick tips, staying with them while they struggled up hills, just keeping quiet company with them, talking up the Tour for Kids and the National Ride, and answering questions about both. The experience was awesome!

LJ
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Well another Tour for Kids and again incredible things happened! Thank you for your dedication to the campers and families of Camp Trillium. Thank you for allowing me to challenge myself and experience the joy of cycling.

I extend our thanks on behalf of the organization and my personal thanks - we will always be there to help because you have been there for us! PS – Love the marshalls and the volunteers – also remarkable folks!

MJ (Camp Trillium)
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Thank you so much for this, my first (of what will be many), Tour For Kids experience. As with the National Ride, I am priviledged and humbled to have been a part of this event that will help make a difference in the lives of children and families affected by cancer.

S
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One day later and I just cannot stop talking about this - the things I have seen, the stories I have listened to and the energy I have felt. I am moved and I am humbled. Like most, it seemed every time I turned around over the last 4 days I was listening to a story that would nearly bring me to tears. A new friend who was now living beyond cancer, a dedication which was awe inspiring in its strength and demonstration of courage and will, or simply left speechless by the stamina and courage of this rolling mass of love and energy which is Tour for Kids.

As all of life's great experiences: It zipped by so fast. Next year will be here before you we know it!

CD
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It never fails to amaze me the strength of the human character. Here I was riding my bicycle, doing what I love, with people that I very quickly realize love this too and I looked around. What I saw was a group of brothers and sisters united in a common goal. Riders that might normally try and drop other riders on the hills pushing or helping them up the climbs. Riders that would normally be completely overwhelmed riding 100 or 200 km doing so with huge smiles on their faces and riders who were out for no reason other than to meet their own goals, succeeding in them. For me, each year, this is a huge battle of my mind and body vs the elements, the hills, the speed and the distance. The thing that keeps me going is my own very personal reasons for being here…every time I feel deflated or beaten; I summon up my inner strength and stomp on the pedals harder. I know that I am doing what I MUST do. If I don’t, how can I expect anyone around me to summon up their own inner strength and beat back whatever their challenge is?

This year was extra special for me. My daughter taught me another very valuable lesson that I have been teaching for years! Do not let anyone try and hold you back from meeting your goals! She made her goal of over 200 km in 2 days and in so doing gave the proverbial kick in the butt to those who said she couldn’t! Her reasons for succeeding are her own but all I can say is thank you Jean and Robin for giving extra meaning to Kari’s journey.

Thank you, brothers and sisters! Love you all! 2009 or Bust.

EG
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My legs are wobbly, my butt has a permanent saddle impression on it, but congratulations to the hundreds of people that made this past weekend an overwhelming success. It was an honor to be part of something so meaningful. My heart felt thanks to all of those special volunteers and staff that made it happen so efficiently.

DS
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When I got home last night from T4K 2008, i reflected on the weekend and wrote the following for the benefit of my sponsors, to help them better appreciate the experience and feel really good about their contribution. I am committed to increasing my involvement next year, by marshalling for the 4 days, by potentially participating in the national kids cancer ride, and by promoting the cause amongst friends, colleagues and neighbours - i want to increase the fundraising potential by actively bringing more cyclists on board, and to hopefully enlist more volunteers to help out for the 4 days. Anyway, here's what i captured last night while still very energized about the weekend ...

When I arrived at City Hall in Mississauga bright and early Thursday morning I saw lots of anxious fellow cyclists, many of them familiar faces from the past 3 years, others were new to the whole experience and not sure what to expect. My butterflies quickly settled down as I shared “welcome back” hugs and got myself ready for the road.

Then came the opening ceremonies and the dedication for the day. The woman who spoke about her now 10 year old daughter who had been diagnosed with cancer at a very young age, recounted how active, vivacious and thriving she is now. Her struggles through treatments for many of her young years had blessed her with an “I can do anything” determination, which has contributed to her becoming a very promising triathlete. This was the first of many inspiring stories we were to hear this weekend. I was deeply touched.

We set out on the road at around 9:00 am. As expected it took some time for the groups of riders to settle in and get comfortable riding in a pack with people whose riding styles we didn't know. I had the fortune of being with a group of 30 wonderful people, all very passionate about cycling and about the T4K cause. The ride to Gravenhurst was great – the winds and temperature were reasonable, and the route was beautiful! After a refreshing shower and dinner at the end of the day (oh yeah, and setting up our tents!), we had some special guests from Camp Quality, one of the three camps that T4K supports. One of the speakers was a young woman, currently studying music in university, who had been diagnosed with cancer when she was 7. Her recount of her life, and the role that Camp had played in helping her and her family through the years of treatments, uncertainties and disappointments, brought lots of emotion from the cyclists. I think her very powerful talk would be a great fundraising tool - she described how her life, and that of her family, was impacted by cancer, the struggles and fear that she and they had to overcome, and how Camp helped her to be who she is today. She very aptly related how these camps for kids with cancer have impacted the lives of families living with cancer

Friday’s ride was a repeat of last year! The weather was beautiful in the morning but turned to rain, and sleet for many riders, in the afternoon. We arrived at camp in a downpour! Louisa, being so thoughtful and understanding of how the cyclists would be feeling in the rain, had arranged hot chicken noodle soup at the concierge desk ... what a perfect touch! And fortunately there were cabin accommodations available so I happily abandoned the idea of setting up my tent that night. My therapy for the evening was cleaning my bike – little had I thought about the fact that we had to ride the first couple kms out over a (wet) dirt road the next morning so my efforts were somewhat to no avail, but it felt good anyway! It rained off and on throughout the evening, and into the night. However, spirits were not dampened! The evening saw guests from Camp Quality talking about their programs, and entertaining us with some of their favourite camp games and activities. Not only does CampQuality have “summer camp” but they also now have programs at SickKids Hospital, bringing fun and normalcy to kids who are confined to the hospital for longer periods. It’s the fundraising like T4K that helps to make this additional programming possible.

We woke Saturday to the end of the rain, thank goodness … our soggy shoes and bike gloves would dry out while riding! The first 30 kms were tough sharp hills, typical of a cottage road. Given that it was the Haliburton area, they were indeed challenging. But the day improved greatly from there as the fog eventually lifted and we could see beyond the next bend in the road. Actually, sometimes it was preferable not to see what was ahead!! Working with a great bunch of riders again, we had a fantastic day of riding – beautiful scenery and lots of very long climbs but the last 50 kms per predominantly downhill, which we really took advantage of and rolled into Peterborough feeling invigorated and strong! And the bonus was that we were staying atTrent University – a real bed and real walls for the night!! We were well fed (you just wouldn’t believe how much food we eat throughout the day and for dinner!) and, once again, had some guests from Camp Trillium with us for the evening. In addition to the personal stories, we learned that CampTrillium has just received a donation of 450 acres on Lake Kushkog (I hope I got the name right) in the Muskokas. They’re going to build a new camp to help alleviate the waiting list of children with cancer. Hearing this, and realizing the need for even more financial help, one of the cyclists challenged that if he could raise $500 that night, he would shave his head – the ante kept getting raised as other cyclists, male and female alike, joined in. Before the night was out, the hat held $10,000!! Just amazing!

This morning I had very mixed feelings – anxious to get the ride over so that my butt could begin to recover from the abuse of that small triangle it had called “home” for the past 3 days and again today, but also sadness that I would soon have to say good-bye to some very good friends, for another year. There were three tributes this morning but the one that struck me the most was by a woman from Peterborough who lost both of her children to cancer. Her son had been diagnosed as a very young child, battled through treatments, and was diagnosed again twice with a different cancer both times, as a teenager and again, and for the last time as a young adult. His sister suffered from a different cancer and lost her battle just after finishing university. I spoke with the mother later in the day – she is an inspiration as her message is about celebrating the short but full lives her children lived, and about improving the quality of life for other children with cancer.

The ride today was fabulous – more great scenery, wonderful weather, and awesome teamwork with my fellow riders (i.e. we really motored!). Around mid-day it clouded over and we thought we were going to get wet but the sun came out strong for the afternoon and we had a great time.

We arrived at Mississauga City Hall and were entertained this evening by a young rock group called Tantrum. The lead entertainer of the group is a 14 year old boy, Adam, who started treatment a year ago (just days before T4K last year). Adam rode 100 kms on the Thursday ride … and said he’d never do it again! The energy and zest for life that this young man has is inspirational!

I said my good-byes for yet another year! But the memories live on in my heart. And I will continue to be inspired to think of ways to help these three wonderful camps meet the needs of the many children and families who need their support.

I would like to thank Jeff and Louisa for their leadership of this fundraising event. It is class "A" in every way! And I would also like to thank all the many many other volunteers who make this weekend so possible for us cyclists ... we certainly couldn't do it without you. And lastly, I'd like to thank the ride marshalls and other cyclists for making each day on the bike so enjoyable!

CK
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Good for you and all the riders!! Obviously this has great significance to me as a recent cancer survivor and I take my hat off to all of you who want to help others from facing this group of deadly diseases. This disease strikes a whole family not just an individual. God bless all of you and the other knights in shining armour!!

G
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It was a joy to be involved with this ride, after hearing so much about it from my fellow Sears riders. Well organized and some great routes! I will see you next year and maybe for both: Alberta and Ontario.

KW
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