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Nick Lees: Riding high, CASA fundraisers eye mountain pass
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Our route beings in Calgary June 17 and heads south to climb the Highwood Pass on Highway 40, the highest paved road in Canada.
Heading north and home for a June 24 finish, we cross the Bow Summit, 2,069 m in height, the highest point between Banff and Jasper.
I have cycled over both passes several times and was sure I could make the ride comfortably. I was wrong.
“You have a prostate cancer problem,” a urology University Hospital specialist told me after an examination. “You need treatment.”
I felt shame. What would I tell my friends?
What surprised me was every darn one I knew sympathized with me and gave me hope.
One of the best was Nadine Samycia, a CASA leader with many leadership responsibilities for an organization that helps families who have a child or teen with mental health issues.
“The Alberta government is providing $92 million in funding for CASA Mental Health to expand treatment for youth throughout the province,” said Samycia, who tags herself Chief Donor Love Officer.
Our CASA fundraising cycling team will cycle though areas of the province where these services will soon be available. At present the tour has 20 keen riders and a 10-person support team, which I have joined.
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Our route begins in Calgary, says our experienced route planner Allan Mayer, who says we will tell people along our trail about CASA coming to help families concerned about the mental health of young family members.
“We will begin in Calgary and embrace the foothills in the Bragg Creek area before turning southeast, into the sweeping ranch lands and on to High River,” he says.
We will go on to pedal through some of the most breath-taking mountain scenery in Canada before an exciting downhill ride takes our cyclists close to the headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River, where they turn east toward the Kootenay Plains/Abraham Lake region behind the Bighorn Dam.
“The mountain terrain is slowly replaced by gently rolling hills as the tour aims for Rocky Mountain House,” said Mayer. “Then it’s northeast along the straight roads of farm country through Rimbey, Ponoka, Maskwacis, and Wetaskiwin to the finish in Sherwood Park.
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This is CASA Mental Health’s (CASAS’s new name) eighth fundraising ride and this, in their fourth year, is being presented by Concrete Blonde’s Chad Stewart and JDK Heating and Cooling’s Shane Kyle, both from Sherwood Park.
John Bodnar, from Karjohn Drywall, has designed this year’s jersey for our ride and is our jersey sponsors.
Our friends from Straightline Dodge Chrysler in Fort Saskatchewan are providing all our support vehicles again this year.
Says Samycia: “CASA invites anyone who has proudly worn the Butterfly logo on their jersey, to join us Saturday, June 24 at the Colchester Hall outside Sherwood Park for the final 12-km ride-in celebration at Concrete Blonde.
“We will meet at 12 noon and ride in together and invite all families and friends to join us for celebration and BBQ at Concrete Blonde, 450 Ordze Road, Sherwood Park.”
