Hospital fundraiser planned

Wheels for Wellness will raise money for QCH

The Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation has partnered with two cycling organizations to launch the Wheels for Wellness fundraising ride for “urgently needed equipment,” said foundation president Melanie Adams.

It’s part of a $40-million capital campaign to fund new bone drill sets, ultrasound technology, magnetic resonance imaging equipment, a fluoroscopy machine and a bladder scan, Adams said.

The inaugural ride will be held June 15. Participants can ride a 50or 100-kilometre route from the hospital on Baseline Road to as far as Almonte before looping back.

GranFondo Canada, a company that organizes long-distance cycling events, will offer operational support, aid stations and safety clinics, said director of business development Dean Hachey.

Share the Road Cycling Coalition has also teamed up with the hospital in the event that showcases Ottawa as a bicycle-friendly city, said Eleanor McMahon. She founded the provincial advocacy group after her husband, OPP Sgt. Greg Stobbart, was hit by a truck and killed while cycling off-duty in Milton, Ont. The couple had recently relocated from Eganville when he died in June 2006.

Registration for Wheels for Wellness opens on Feb. 6 at www.sharetheroad.ca

Adams explained that it’s a pledge-driven event. “We’re asking people to raise a minimum of $750 per participant plus the registration fee,” Adams said.

“If we could do half a million dollars from this event, I’d be thrilled.”