Truro cyclists heading to Iceland for fundraising relay
After cycling more than 7,000 km across Canada last summer, Chris MacDougall has set his sights on new territory this year – Iceland.
He and two other individuals from Truro are involved with a group of Nova Scotia cyclists planning to participate in the WOW Cyclothon, a relay race that takes riders around the circumference of Iceland (1,358 km) in a maximum of 72 hours.
“I was told that it’s hilly and windy and quite often it’s wet,” MacDougall said. “But they said the wind blows all the time and I hate the wind, so that would be the worst thing.”
Another challenge is the odd hours, given that the relay teams will be cycling 24 hours per day.
“Sleeping might be your biggest problem but it’s only three days,” MacDougall said, with a chuckle.
Last summer, MacDougall cycled 7,185 km from Vancouver to St. John’s, N.L., in an effort to raise funds in support of cancer research. That endeavour generated more than $265,000 for the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, an organization established by the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation to help support cancer research projects throughout Atlantic Canada.
This year’s effort, which involves 32 Nova Scotians with the GiveToLive cycling group, will see 60 per cent of the funds going to the Canadian Cancer Society in support of the Sobey Centre in Halifax. The remaining 40 per cent will go to the Charlie and Dan MacDougall Endowment Fund through the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute.
That fund was created during last summer’s cycling venture – Charlie’s Ride – named in memory of MacDougall’s son Charlie who died of cancer in 2004 at age 14.
The fund is also named after MacDougall’s son Dan, a fellow member of GiveToLive who will be participating in the Iceland relay. He has cycled in past events with the group and said he derives “a sense of accomplishment” in working toward a common goal of raising money for a good cause.
Chris MacDougall’s niece, Meg MacDougall, is also participating in the ride along with his neighbour, Declan Watson, 19.
Watson’s family has also been impacted by cancer through the death of his older sister, Samantha, who died of the disease at only nine months old. Although she died before he was born, Watson said he is participating because it offers him a way to become directly involved in helping in the battle against cancer.
“I saw this as a really good opportunity, with the MacDougalls being close family friends for a long time and our family sharing similar losses,” he said. “This just seemed like a perfect opportunity to get out there and make a difference.”
The Iceland ride begins June 21 during the night of the midnight sun. Anyone wishing to donate can do so by logging onto https://www.givetolive.ca/thebig-ride/about-the-big-ride/.