DAY 1 - AJAX

The riders arrived at their Ajax destination at approximately 1800 without incident.  It was a long, hot gruelling day, but spirits are up.  They are mindful that they are not only riding for themselves, but as a unit for a worthy cause.  After cleaning up they went for dinner at the Mandarin and then off to bed.  The weather does not look great for their ride to Trenton tomorrow.  Let's hope the weatherman is really wrong this time.

THEY'RE OFF!!! DAY 1

 The riders, support riders, family and friends all assembled at the Golf club at 0700 this morning. Greetings and best wishes were exchanged, the sag wagon was packed.  An initial cheque was presented to Wendy Dueck of the Niagara Health System Foundation for $20,000.00.  Hopefully an additional cheque will be forthcoming after the Tour.   Bruce gave the group a last minute talk about safety and they were off.





Jake Bakker, Bruce & Lynnda Ross

Georgette & Matt Taylor & Shiela Bristo

Dan Toppari, Carol Millward, John D'Ambrosio

Let's talk; Safety First

The initial Pledge

Right to left:  Ian, Barry, Bruce, Shaun



Water Superstore - one of our sponsors



The Tour du Lac Group

Barry & group leaving hospital site

Cathy Henry arrives back at SCG&CC after doing 26km in the first stage of the Tour du Lac. She was escorted back by Runners' Edge riders Céline Parent, Paul Weerdenburg and Doug Geddie.  Other day riders included Matt Taylor who rode to Vineland and back and John D'Ambrosio and Andrew Marshall who were riding to Burlington and back.

FROM ANDREW MARSHALL
Trust everything is still going well.  Two attractive young ladies, (so sorry I forgot to ask their names - I must be slipping!), and I arrived back at StCGandCC at 12:40 p.m., after an uneventful ride back via the same route.  (Is there a red light conspiracy in St Catharines?!)  Fourth member left us at Fifty Road.  It was good to see quite a few others out and about on their bikes!  Sorry I missed the entrance to Confederation Park, (twice!), but I did see Lac Ontario!  

Bon Voyage!

Money to follow, I will deliver on return from the UK, (where, I understand, it's a little cooler!)   

Will be following your progress via the blog.  Don't forget your duty free allowances!

Best Wishes and Thanks

Andrew M.

P.S.  Just received a personal greeting ... my ever helpful friend Pres. Obama promises you cooler weather in the USA once debt talks are settled.  Also suggests you keep turning left(!), and always remember to ask for directions to the Lake, not le Lac!

*****

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ED TELENKO & TOM SCHMOR FOR THE GREAT PICTURES, TO LISA RAHAM FOR PROVIDING DAY 1 SAG SUPPORT AND TO ALL THE RIDERS FROM RUNNNER'S EDGE FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND CARE FOR OUR DAY RIDERS.

BEST WISHES FROM THE SCGHF STAFF

Good Afternoon!

On behalf of all of us here at the St. Catharines General Hospital Foundation, we would like to wish you all the best as you start your exciting journey on Sunday!

We will be thinking of you and following your blogs J

Have a safe ride,

SCGHF Staff

NIAGARA THIS WEEK ARTICLE BY PAUL FORSYTH 7/13/11

Riding for heart health

900-km marathon trip raising money for new cardiac catheterization lab

Riding for heart health. Ian Forbes, who survived a serious heart blockage after undergoing cardiac catheterization, is shown riding up Mt. Ventoux in France as part of a 963 cycling trip in June 2010. The St. Catharines resident is taking part in the Tour du Lac event around Lake Ontario starting this weekend. Supplied photo

They’re risking a serious case of bicycle bum, but for a group of Niagara residents and others in southern Ontario and New York State preparing to ride bicycles all the away around the perimeter Lake Ontario, it’s all worth it to give Niagara a life-saving service that most of Ontario already takes for granted.
The event, dubbed the Tour du Lac, will see people ride a grinding 900-kilometre route around the great lake starting on July 17, over a seven-day period.
It’s all designed to help push the Rotary Club of St. Catharines South, the May Court Club of St. Catharines, and Performance Cars closer to their goal of raising $750,000 toward the new regional cardiac catheterization lab planned for the new Niagara Health System hospital under construction in St. Catharines.
Thorold resident Dan Toppari, who is juggling serious training for the ride with the hectic work schedule of working as a lawyer at a St. Catharines law firm, is one of the organizers of the event.
He said the Rotary club, which he’s a member of, and the May Court club previously worked together to raise funds toward the establishment of Hospice Niagara, which provides terminally ill people with dignified, compassionate care in their final days.
“It was a good partnership so we set our sights on something else,” this time with the car dealership company on-board as a partner, said Toppari.
About a dozen people — from a semi-retired St. Catharines dentist to a retired airline pilot — have signed up for the full ride, while others will join in along the way for one-day rides along the route. The ride starts in St. Catharines and proceeds to Trenton, Kingston, Oswego, N.Y., Webster, N.Y., Lockport, N.Y. and back to St. Catharines.
Along for the full ride will be St. Catharines resident Ian Forbes, who has first-hand knowledge of how vital cardiac catheterization is. A few years ago, he started experiencing extreme chest pain and shortness of breath.
“It got so I couldn’t walk upstairs,” he recalled.
Luckily, his family doctor referred him to a cardiac specialist with the Niagara Health System, who quickly sent him to the closet catheterization lab at Hamilton General Hospital. Doctors there found his left coronary artery was 95 per cent blocked.
Forbes said the procedure, which typically involves inserting a thin, flexible tube to diagnose problems and remove blockages, undoubtedly saved his life.
“I’m a real lucky guy,” he said.
Niagara is the only major region in Ontario without its own catheterization lab. Forbes said most people with heart conditions are lucky enough to survive the trip to Hamilton or Toronto for treatment.
“Some aren’t,” he said bluntly.
Forbes, who started cycling in 2008 as part of his rehabilitation with a few trips around the block, is now an avid cyclist: in June 2010, he rode 26 kilometres up Mont Ventoux in France as part of a 963-kilometre, seven-day trek from the Mediterranean to Germany. He also left his former high-stress job as an automotive sales manager to work at a bicycle shop.
Rotary club members in Trenton, Webster and Lockport will be joining up with the Tour du Lac riders, and Rotary clubs will be hosting barbecues for them along the way, said Toppari. Riders are also planning to document their adventure along the way with a blog on the local Rotary Club’s website.
“It’s going to be fun meeting with all the Rotarians,” said Toppari.
People can make pledges for the riders online through the St. Catharines Hospital Foundation’s website, available through the Tour du Lac website at www.rotarytourdulac.ca/

July 7th...

July 7th... from Little Rock, Arkansas... finished my check-up today. It is nice to be able to go through Stage Six on the stress test... which I can do because I ride the bike occasionally. For me, Life's a Bike... it would be nice if it were part of more people's lives.

While I was on the treadmill and getting ready for the Echo-cardiogram, one of the nurses started talking about needing to get back into shape... in the five years she has been working as a cardiac ultrasound technologist, she has gotten married, and put on 60 pounds... and after she heard me tell Barry's story about losing about that amount because he took up cycling... she bought in! Thank you for your story Barry... and anyone reading this that hasn't read Barry's profile... do!

We had another practice ride last Sunday. We had eight riders and did a loop that included several good climbs around the Brock Monument and forty kilometers. We had a safety meeting following, and Lynnda made a great breakfast for us. It was great to have part of the group there... we have only one week before we set out on the ride. We will have to tighten up the riding rules, and be better at ensuring we ride as a team... using the safest riding techniques.

Unfortunately we didn't take any pictures last Sunday... but we will be posting pictures here throughout the ride... starting with the Sunday morning awarding of a lot of donations to the cardiac investigation unit at the new hospital in St. Catharines. Can't wait, and I assure you we will be pulling out all stops to get the number up into the ... I will leave it at that, but be assured, we will be proud of all the donors and the riders who pulled the load.
BRuce

SOUVENIR TOUR DU LAC JERSEY

       Front and back views of our awesome Tour du Lac Jersey

We have a limited number of jerseys available for sale which would be an ideal gift for the cyclist in your life. They are a micro fibre air-dry jersey of superior quality manufactured by Louis Garneau at a price of $70.00

Don't live locally, we will send it to you for an additional $5.00

Contact Ian @ ibbbbs@gmail.com, or

              Carol @ millward@vaxxine.com                 



THE ITINERARY

Day 1 Sunday July 17, 2011             St. Catharines to Pickering                               167 kms
    Early 7:30 start along with additional “Day Riders” for early ride support!
    Day riders will have supported ride options of 25, 50 or 100kms and will be part of the group.
    Following The Waterfront Trail with a few exceptions for expediency.
    Stay Super 8 Ajax, NO Rotary hosting so as to allow for quick departure Monday A.M.

Day 2 Monday July 18, 2011              Pickering to Trenton                                         153 kms
    Primarily Waterfront Trail Routing. Hosted by the Rotary Club of Trenton, guests at a special
    evening BBQ at the Trenton Yacht Club, combination of billeting and Holiday Inn Trenton.

Day 3 Tuesday July 19, 2011            Trenton - Kingston                                             121 kms
    Originally planning on Watertown stopover but just a little too much for 3 days in a row.
    Routing now through Prince Edward County and Glenora Ferry. Lots to see in Kingston, Old
    Fort Henry, Waterfront and more. All staying at Four Points Sheration Kingston.

Day 4 Wednesday July 20, 2011       Kingston to Oswego NY                                    151 kms
           
    Exciting trips on the Wolfe Island Ferry and the Horne Ferry to start the day!
    Accommodation at SUNY residence in Oswego, Following the Seaway Trail around
    the eastern end of Lake Ontario
Day 5 Thursday July 21, 2011           Oswego to Webster NY (E/O Rochester)       109 kms
    Scenic ride through hills and then shorline of Lake Ontario, Billeting through the Rotary
    Club of Webster (District 7120), Attending Rotary meeting in Webster on Thursday evening.

Day 6 Friday July 22, 2011                Webster to Lockport NY                                   133 kms
    Following the Erie Canal trail primarily. Some history and leisure pathway riding.
    Billeting through the Lockport Rotary Club (District 7090) some hotel.
    They have offered a Friday Picnic gathering. Possible intercept of their ride near Colourg ON.

Day 7 Saturday July 23, 2011            Lockport to St. Catharines                                88 kms
    Joined by additional “Day Riders to help bring home the ride!
    Day riders given 2 options as to where to join the group. Rainbow Bridge Canada side, etc.
    Additional exposure to Erie Canal Trails, along with Niagara River trails in New York
    and Ontario, the Rainbow Bridge, Whirlpool vistas, Queenston Monument, etc.
    Celebration gathering immediately at ride’s end in St. Catharines.
                                                                                                            Total Approx  920 kms in 7 days!

Special Thanks: to all sponsors, the clubs and individuals involved in hosting but special mention to Major Gen. (ret.) Lionel Bourgeois, John Williams, Trenton Holiday Inn, and Wilf Wilkinson, all of Trenton Rotary; Liz Sullivan,  Four Points Kingston; Jim Isaac, Webster Rotary; and David Greenfield, Lockport Rotary.

OUR SPONSORS

Take it to Heart is a committee comprised of members of the Rotary Club of St. Catharines South, The May Court Club of St. Catharines and PerformanceCars.  This committee raises funds for the cardiac cathterization lab, also referred to as the heart investigation unit, at the Niagara Health Care Complex presently under construction.    Back in December of 2010, Ian Forbes and Barry Millward planned to cycle around the lake this summer for fun.   Upon encouragement from family and friends, they decided to join forces with Take it to Heart, committed to help raise funds for the heart investigation unit, formed an awesome committee and call the event the TOUR DU LAC.

Our proud sponsors are:  Affordable Roofing, Trek, TD Waterhouse, BikeFit, Casa Mia Ristorante, Enbridge, John Boldt Builders Ltd., Morgan Diltz & Toppari, Lawyers, Spreepro Imaging, Edge Hair Design, State Farm Gord Tessier Insurance Agency Ltd., Water Superstore, CAA Niagara and Revo H2O

SOME OF OUR SEVEN DAY RIDERS

TERRY CARRUTHERS

ZIGGY KRUEGER

BRUCE ROSS

DAN TOPPARI

                                              BARRY MILLWARD

IAN FORBES

 

Shaun Bos

Under Construction

Here's a picture of the group taken by Bruce in front of the new Niagara Health Care Complex presently under construction.  This is the facility that will house the heart investigation unit for which we are riding.


From left to right Carol Millward, Barry Millward, Ziggy Krueger, Dan Toppari, Roberto Garcia, Andrew Marshall, Ian Forbes

Training ride July 3rd



We had our first training ride on Sunday July 3rd. We did a nice ride with a couple of hills and lots of Niagara Scenery.  Ian and Mary Forbes hosted the group, and we had a great first meet. We will do it again on July the 10th with more of the riders.   Bruce and Lynnda Ross will host.   We will ride the Niagara River and Queenston areas.


From left to right Ian Forbes, Shaun Bos, Carol Millward, Barry Millward, Dan Toppari, Andrew Marshall, Ziggy Krueger