Sarah King, left, cycling in the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride, called her cross-Canada journey ‘an incredible adventure.’DAVE CHAN/The Globe and Mail
The Gift: Raising $30,000
The Cause: Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation
The Reason: To fund research and treatment programs for childhood cancer
About five years ago, a friend asked Sarah King whether she wanted to participate in a cycling event called Tour for Kids, which raises money to support charities dealing with childhood cancer.
"I thought 'Sure a tour with children; how hard can it be?'" recalled Ms. King, an avid cyclist and triathlete who works at Westcourt Capital Corp., a Toronto-based investment firm. "I looked into it and went 'This is really challenging.'"
She ended up covering 600 kilometres in three days and enjoyed it so much she wanted to get more involved. She not only participated in other Tour for Kids rides, which raise money for the Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation, but also met some of the families and children coping with cancer.
"It's something that hit a chord with me and I thought I'm very fortunate to be able to make a contribution to help this, so why not? I just wanted to help in some way."
This month, Ms. King took on the ultimate biking challenge. She joined 24 other cyclists in the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride, a cross-Canada tour that raises money for Coast to Coast. The group started in Vancouver on Sept. 5 and will finish on Sept. 21 in Halifax. The riders pay their own expenses and drum up donations. Ms. King has raised $30,000. "It's an incredible adventure," she said during a recent stop in Toronto. "I wanted to make a difference and not just do it for the exercise benefiting me."
Paul Waldie