Ride to Connect
Ride to Connect has teamed up with Connected Canadians and the Bruyère Foundation for a cycling fundraiser and advocacy initiative to reduce the social isolation of Canadian seniors. Led by a group of University of Ottawa medical students, a community of more than 400 cyclists aims to ride 500,000 km this summer. The group is promoting both physical activity and connecting seniors through technology.
“As COVID hit, we were faced with many different restrictions in regard to keeping in touch with family,” said Raphael Lessard, one of the founding members of Ride to Connect. “It became apparent to us that different people were being affected differently by the pandemic. We all had personal experiences with our grandparents having a difficult time keeping in touch with the rest of the family. We noticed technology was helping everybody else in society stay connected even though we were physically distanced.
“We wanted to fundraise and join with a company that shared the passion, and want to bring technological literacy to seniors all while doing something fun,” Lessard added. “That is where the cycling came in.”
Last year the group had a sponsor that made a donation based on the amount of kilometres that were covered. The organizers are still looking for a sponsor this year, but Simon Pupulin says “the kilometres (cycled) have helped us indirectly in terms of showing what kind of community we have and how dedicated people are.”
To join in and clock your kilometres, you can get involved through Ride to Connect on Strava or head to
www.ridetoconnect.ca to donate. “It’s a very noble cause that a lot of people didn’t think about prior to the pandemic,” said Pupulin. “It will definitely exist well beyond the pandemic. It doesn’t stop here; we are always pushing for change.”