Friends For Life Bike Rally

The Friends For Life Bike Rally is an annual fundraiser benefiting The Toronto People With AIDS Foundation

The purpose of this cycling event is to raise money and awareness to support men, women and children living with HIV and AIDS in Toronto.

Riders cycle an average of 100KM a day for 6 days between Toronto, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec. The crew consists of Food, Road Safety, Rubbermaid Rustlers and Wellness.

The motto for the Bike Rally is As long as there’s a reason… there’s a ride.

Toronto People With AIDS Foundation

Toronto People With AIDS Foundation (PWA) is a support service agency for people living with HIV/AIDS in Canada.

PWA provides over 17 separate services in four program areas: income support, food programs, treatment programs & health promotion programs. Although there is often greater knowledge of HIV/AIDS issues in urban centres like Toronto, infection rates are still on the rise.

Bike Rally origins

In 1998, The Friends For Life Bike Rally started as a challenge between a PWA board member and an enthusiastic supporter. Neither was an avid cyclist but they imagined it was possible to bike from Toronto to Montreal within 6 days.

In the first few years of the Bike Rally, rider and crew populations were small. In the first year, it started with 23 riders and six crew members. Crew and riders cooked their own food and worked with a small squad of a borrowed van and a truck.

Today the ride employs the services of a catering company, a volunteer professional health and wellness team as well as a mechanics team, and fills up entire wings of campsites.

10th Annual Friends For Life Bike Rally

In 2008, The Friends For Life Bike Rally celebrated several milestones including:

* $5 million raised in ten years
* $1.175 million raised in 2008
* Selected honoured group for the 2008 Pride Parade.

The Friends For Life Bike Rally departed from the Ontario Legislature on Sunday, July 27, 2008 with over 300 riders and 100 crew. In the past ten years, the Bike Rally is one of Canada's largest fundraisers for an HIV/AIDS organization.

Scotiabank signed on in 2008 as the presenting sponsor for The Friends For Life Bike Rally.

Fundraising

To raise funds for PWA, each rider must commit to raise a minimum of $2,200 by the end of June to participate in the ride. However, participants are encouraged to raise more.

The average amount raised per rider is over $3,000 and many riders raise well above that amount. To assist in fundraising, the Bike Rally organizes seminars and has mentors available to assist in achieving the committed goals.

Training rides

The training rides are developed and organized by returning riders and are a fantastic way to:

* tap into a training schedule to get in shape for the ride
* meet fellow riders and make new friends
* learn and practice safe and efficient riding
* help other riders by sharing your knowledge
* support and encourage all riders, especially new riders

More than half of the riders at training rides are new riders but will know many people by the end of each day.

Non Bike Rally cyclists are invited to join the training rides provided they follow the safety rules as outlined before each training ride.

Daily route

Day 1

Toronto to Port Hope - 116 km

1st Break: 28km - Adams Park in Scarborough on Lawson Rd

Lunch: 61km - Lakeview Park in Oshawa

2nd Break: 88km - Bond Head Park in Bond Head

Campsite: Haskill's farm on Lake Ontario, just before Port Hope.

Highlights: An emotional departure, the Oshawa Valleylands bike path, the first campsite, the bus to the .

Day 2

Port Hope to Adolphustown - 125km

1st Break: 36km - Wicklow Beach Park in Wicklow

2nd Break: 65km - At in Lovett

Lunch: 80km - Henderson B&B in Consecon

3rd Break: 100k - Schroedter's Market at Huff's Corners

Campsite: U.F.L. Heritage Centre/Park in Adolphustown. Swimming is available.

Highlights: The ride along the lake after lunch, the Glenora Ferry, having completed the longest day of the ride.

Day 3

Adolphustown to Kingston - 51km

Break: 22km - Finkle Shore Park in Bath

Lunch: Queens University

Highlights: Cycling along the Bay of Quinte, arriving in Kingston.

Day 4

Kingston to Johnstown - 110km

1st Break: 31km - Gananoque Town Park

Lunch: 67km - Brown's Bay Park in Thousand Islands region - beautiful for swimming

2nd Break: 84km - Hardy Park in Brockville

Campsite: Grenville Campground

Highlights: Hot breakfast at Queens University, the view of the Thousand Islands, the best swimming spot of the week at lunch.

Day 5

Johnstown to Lancaster - 108km

1st Break: 29km - Morrisburg Beach Park in Morrisburg

Lunch: 59km - Milles Roches Island

2nd Break: 77km - Lamoureux Park in Cornwall

Campsite: Glengarry Campground

Highlights: The stunning Long Sault Parkway, the Dairy Queen in Lancaster, tenting amongst the tall trees, the Beach Candlelight ceremony.

Day 6

Lancaster to Montreal - 102km

1st Break: 30km - at park by canal in Coteau-du-Lac

Lunch: Shamrock Park on L'Ile Perrot

2nd Break: 87km - at our final gathering point in Parc Canal De Lachine

Highlights: The final morning announcements, crossing the border into Quebec, the long line of Friends For Life jerseys going into Montreal, and the arrival.

On day 6, participants wear the Bike Rally jerseys and crew shirts for arrival in Montreal. Each participant is also be given a red ribbon to attach to his or her helmet, hat or vehicle. Writing what the Bike Rally means to you on the ribbon is encouraged. This is sometimes the name of a friend or organization, a date or someone who has inspired you.

The Return

During the weekend, The Crew drive the vehicles back to Toronto and riders return to Toronto on VIA Rail

Crew teams

Food crew

Food Crew is responsible for all aspects of providing two-three meals per day for all Bike Rally participants. The Food Crew is divided into two teams, each guided by a team captain who works closely with the Food Crew Steering Committee member, who has overall responsibility. The teams work on alternate meals in order to break up the work day and to ensure adequate staffing at the various locations where meals are provided. A catering company travels with the Food Crew and is responsible for supplying the majority of the food and meal preparation dishes. In addition, Rider teams are assigned to assist the Food Crew with serving and cleaning up.

Road safety

Road Safety is composed of individuals who are committed to the daily support of moving more than 300 riders from Toronto to Montreal. The Road Safety Crew follow the cyclists along the route and ensure their safety and well being. Crew members are paired and provided with a van complete with energy snacks, water, sunscreen and bicycle racks. Crew members are located at critical points along the route to provide direction and "cheerleading". In case of emergencies, the Road Safety Crew works closely with the Wellness Team to provide medical assistance. The most significant role of Road Safety is to provide a safe environment for riders as well as moral support, cheering the cyclists along on the road.

Rubbermaid rustlers

Rubbermaid Rustlers are composed of women and men, who, as a team of volunteers, transport all Bike Rally participants’ personal gear to Montreal in several 16-foot cube trucks. Each Bike Rally participant is provided two Rubbermaid bins per person that are transported by the Rubbermaid Rustlers throughout the week. That equals 800 bins twice a day for 400 riders and crew. Over six days equals 9,600 bins that are transported.

Wellness Team

Complementary Therapists

When the riders head out of camp, the therapists travel to the designated lunch area where the riders will go by. After the lunch break, the therapists continue to that day's campsite and set up for the evening treatments, which are offered from 3:00 until 7:00.
After a good dinner, they get to enjoy the evening activities with riders and crew and get a well-deserved rest.

Medical Team

The Medical Team travels in vehicles along the road and they are there to provide basic first aid or transport to a nearest hospital in case of an emergency. They provide appropriate medical service to riders and crew and offer some medical advice if needed.

Before departure, the team prepares a confidential ‘health information' sheet for riders and crew to fill out before the Bike Rally begins (history, current medications, status, etc). The team works together to determine what medical supplies are needed for the Bike Rally, what specific items go in each vehicle and what needs to be purchased.

Steering committee

Steering Committee is responsible for the overall organization of the Bike Rally, working closely with the Special Events Coordinator at the PWA Toronto. Each committee will meet individually throughout the year and the The Steering Committee members meet once a month to ensure planning of the event is progressing.

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