Cycling 4 Water: Cyclists ride across Canada to raise money for clean water
Millions of people in the world don’t have access to safe water or sanitation. A group of four friends from British Columbia are determined to ‘break that cycle’ by cycling across Canada.
The four-man team of cyclists is riding nearly 10,000 km to help raise funds to provide clean drinking water in Africa.
The group of four friends began their journey on July 25th.
Rob Montgomery, an avid cyclist pitched the idea to his friend Mike Woodard years ago after he began cycling himself.
“I said ‘Rob if we do this, we have to do it for a cause because I think you want to do it for fun, and I can’t imagine that,” recalls Woodard.
Montgomery told CTV News that they wanted to focus on the need for water in third-world counties.
"The statistic is that there are almost 800 million people in the world without clean drinking water. Every 90 seconds a child dies from water-borne disease and that’s 1,000 a day so that’s what motivated us,” says Montgomery.
The group decided to partner with a Global Aid Network in Africa, which drills drinking wells. According to Montgomery, each well costs $8,500, which serves 1,000 people.
“Clean water transforms villages, first of all, it saves people's lives, secondly it changes the whole dynamic of the village,” said Woodard.
“We’re all fathers and grandfathers and it would break our hearts to see our grandchildren or children die because they didn’t have access to clean water.”
As of Friday afternoon they’ve raised $292,378. Woodard says with the number of funds they’ve received so far they are on their way to providing almost 50 wells.
Their goal is to raise enough money to provide 65 freshwater wells.
“We're thrilled to think as a result of this ride there will be at least 50 villages that get clean water and a deep kept well.”
Due to COVID-19 regulations, they weren’t able to start in their planned starting spot of Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T, so they began in Dawson City, Yukon.
They are hoping to arrive at their final destination in Halifax by the end of Saturday.
You can donate to Cycling 4 Water on their website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
'I just want to be safe': Ukrainian man in Canada faces limbo amid consular freeze
A recent decision to restrict consular services for fighting-aged Ukrainian men has made a Ukrainian man in Canada feel less certain of his next steps — and worried he could be pulled back to the war.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.