Cycling Santas hit Windsor streets to spread Christmas joy on two wheels
Local group members reach out to people could use gloves, hats — and a smile, too
Clad in festive Yuletide garb, a group of cyclists rolled through the downtown Saturday, on the hunt for folks who could use a little warmth and a smile, some good cheer — and a gift voucher. For the sixth year, Cycling Santas launched from the Vollmer Complex in LaSalle, with a dozen participants on a chilly morning biking down the Herb Gray Parkway and then branching out after arriving in Windsor’s urban core. Targeting those “who look down on their luck,” organizer Brian Belanger said the Santas were armed with socks, hats, gloves, scarves and $5 gift certificates for McDonald’s. There were stops at a fire station to drop off donations for Sparky ’s Toy Drive, in laneways and outside the Downtown Mission.
“We dress up to get in the spirit of Christmas,” said Belanger. He said the Santa suits, hats and beards got a lot of passersby turning their heads and motorists honking their horns approvingly at the cyclists on the road.
“When people see what we’re doing, they might be more apt to open up their pockets too,” said Belanger.
The Santas bumped into one individual emerging out of a dumpster near the Capitol Theatre, his bounty being a half-dozen bagels in a bag that had been someone else’s garbage.
Belanger said he was surprised at the man’s selfless response when asked whether he could use a pair of socks or gloves. “He said, ‘I’ll take it — I’ve got friends I know who could use them.’”
The annual pedal-powered Christmas missions are “eyeopening,” said Belanger: “I think we’re reaching out to the right people — you learn it’s hard to judge a person by the clothes they wear.” After completing their rounds, the cyclists, before going their own ways, gathered at the foot of Ouellette Avenue to share coffee and stories.
Belanger said he started Cycling Santas as a way to give back after being on the receiving end of others’ generosity during a 7,400-kilometre charity bike ride across Canada in 2013 in which five local cyclists raised over $43,000 for research into ALS, or Lou Gehrig ’s Disease.
“The generosity I received from individuals I didn’t even know — it blew me away,” he said. Belanger, who commutes by bike to his maintenance job at the University of Windsor, said there’s nothing formal about the event. He said he posts messages and the date on social media and websites of local cycling groups — like the East Side Riders and Metric Century — and then just leaves it to any cyclists to show up on the designated day.
“Just open up your heart — and come and ride,” said the Cycling Santa.