Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer

 

Manny Everett 

Times Contributor  

 

The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer is a Canada-wide fundraiser that takes place in Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. This year was the fourth successful year, raising $8 million in Alberta alone. 

Susan Moncks, a resident of Standard and teacher at the Standard School, has been training many long and tiring hours preparing for this ride. “In November of this year I made the decision, after realizing the extent that cancer has affected my life and others around me, to take on this challenge.  And yet another person in our community, Greg, would begin a battle against this disease, but four days following my ride, would lose that battle.  I thought of my mom, aunties, uncles, cousins… thought of Keith, my colleague and friend, other colleagues, of community friends”. 

The 230+km ride began at Spruce Meadows through High River, Okotoks and down highway 22 to the beautiful Chain Lakes Provincial Park. There was breathtaking scenery with the Rockies always in view. An overnight stay in two-man tents in the rain faced the group for the night, and after only short hours of sleep, the riders got up to start the trek back to Spruce Meadows. Wet, muddy and water-logged bikers made their way through Black Diamond, Turner Valley and Longview before arriving back at Spruce Meadows.  Moncks says of the ride that “tears from heaven fell upon us – sometimes heavy, sometimes gentle… this was a journey of beauty – the countryside, the open air, the riders, the sweat, the moments, the smiles, the volunteers at each stop, the emotion and clearly the purpose. At the finish line, the realization (hit) that you had accomplished something great for others and been a part of an epic experience.  The rain poured down for hours at our camp and we endured together the wet, cold and mud, but we all were there together and somehow this group of strangers still smiled and worked through an emotional and powerful few hours like no other”.

The 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer planning is already in full swing. To donate or to sign up for this powerful ride and experience go to ab13.conquercancer.ca