Ride a bike, extend a life

TORONTO - Can there be a good reason to close the Gardiner Expressway and the DVP to traffic on a Sunday? Sure. 13,000 dedicated cyclists. The 24th Annual Becel Heart&Stroke Ride for Heart. Raising $3.9 million for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. That's three.

Each person has his or her own reason for riding. For some, it's to remember a loved one. For others it's to celebrate a survivor, perhaps even themselves. Some see it as a personal challenge.

The Becel Heart&Stroke Ride for Heart is one of Canada's largest cycling fundraisers, and the money raised by participants will go to support leading-edge scientific research that will extend lives by improving existing treatments and developing new ones. Heart disease and stroke take 1 in 3 Canadians before their time. In Toronto and the GTA, the Foundation funds more than 130 researchers, and has invested more than $13 million in Toronto-based research for patients.

The ride is on Sunday, June 5. To register, call 416-486-RIDE (7433) or visit www.rideforheart.ca. The Ride sold out early last year - sign up today!

TOP PHOTO: Dr. Marco Di Buono, Director of Philanthropy at The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, leads an outdoor spinning class to kick off this year's Becel Heart&Stroke Ride for Heart. (photo courtesy of Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario; photographer Shan Qiao)

Toronto - Toronto City News