Their odometer reads 4830 kilometers, yet Mike Maggrah, Erik Zufelt and Ryan Zufelt, all ArtSci ’07, still have a month of cycling to go.
On May 14, the students dipped their rear tires in the Pacific Ocean in Victoria, B.C. and they hope to reach Saint John’s, Newfoundland by late next month.
The trio passed through Toronto on June 23 to make some much-needed repairs and expected to arrive in Kingston the following night, yet another stop on the group’s cross-Canada bike trip aimed at raising money for Cancer research.
“The support has been great. Everyone has always been encouraging,” Maggrah said in the shade of the Zufelt’s grandparent’s home in Bowmanville. He said the Tour for the Cure has collected about $10,000 so far, including donations from as far off as Scandinavia. The students fundraised in Kingston to assist with the costs of the trip, but every dollar collected en route will go to the Canadian Cancer Society.
The team spends between four and eight hours per day on the road, having logged more than 200 hours in total. They give radio interviews in the morning, and are often greeted by car horns and well-wishers in the afternoon.
The stop in Bowmanville was significant because both of the Zufelt’s grandparents have fought cancer. Joyce and Charlie Zufelt were happy to offer their hospitality.
“We’re so proud,” Joyce said. “Most 20-year-olds, you don’t get much out of them. You can hardly get them off the couch. But these boys only think about others.” On June 22 they arrived at St. Vincent de Paul School in Toronto, where students followed their progress via the Internet.
“We felt like superheroes in front of those kids,” Ryan said. “They raised $600 for us in loonies and toonies.”
But the trip has had its share of hardships, and the trio has often lived like Spartans for the past seven weeks. The group doesn’t plan to do much celebrating once the trip is complete.
“We’ll go to a pub, have wings, beer, fries and ribs, and then go home and get a job,” joked Maggrah.
On their way through the Rocky Mountains, the group biked through snow in near-freezing temperatures. Ryan said his hands were so cold he had to shift gears with his elbows. When they arrived in both Golden, B.C. and Lake Louise, Alta. they stayed at a hotel to warm up and dry out. “My fingers were so cold that I couldn’t even get out my debit card. I just handed over my wallet,” Ryan said.
The cyclists shop for groceries almost every day and prepare their meals on a camping stove.
“I don’t mind the oatmeal every day,” Maggrah said. “It builds character.” They’ve spent most of their nights in a tent at campgrounds. At one provincial park, the three encountered a coin-operated shower and quickly took turns to make the most of their change.
“[With] one loonie, we showered,” Ryan said.
“This is the poorest, most thrifty trip across Canada ever,” added Erik.
Though they hosted a number of local events, including one at Taboo Resort near Gravenhurst that raised $3000, the team may not reach their goal of raising $25,000.
The team attributes this to other events not drawing donations fast enough and business donors tending to make their donations directly to the Cancer Society.
Still, the students are satisfied with the awareness raised, and the response from the communities passed along the way.
“We might not have raised much money,” Eric said, “but damn we had fun.”
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s)-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.