Cycling across the country, over 8,000 kilometers, to raise $8,000 to help kids in need- that's the goal for Joey Carson , his bother Ira and friend Max.
The idea for their cross country adventure came three years ago. Joey's cousin Mark told them about his bike trip across Canada and the group has been hooked on the trip since.
They began to take increasingly longer rides such as a 50 km from Toronto to Oakville; 300 km from Toronto to Kingston; and 500 km from Toronto to Montreal. All the team had left was their journey from Victoria to St. John's!
The bike ride passed through Carlye last Thursday, even stopping for a quick interview and photo session .
"It's been a lot of fun so far," said Joey. " We flew out to B.C, and then started our trip biking through the mountains, that part was the hardest so far. Along the way we have been lucky enough to find hotels willing to put us up for the night, and even have people generously offering us a place in their home, and they even feed us. A good discovery we made was finding www.warmshowers.org, that has led to us finding a lot of nice Canadians."
The three men grew up surrounded by and exposed to sailing. The hobby and passion for the water sport quickly led to them to become certified instructors.
Joey's work as a sailing programmer at Easter Seals Camp Merrywood in Perth is what inspired the team to raise money as they biked. All of the money raised goes directly into Easter Seals pockets, and never comes in contact with the dedicated bikers.
Donations are made on the secure Easter Seals website and are even tax-deductible for gifts of $20 or more.
Sailing has become a favourite activity at Easter Seals Camp. It allows kids with physical disabilities to experience the feeling of independence, and helps them grow into confident beings.
"We will help Easter Seals Ontario purchase more adaptive sailing equipment and water safety supplies for their campers and staff," explained Joey.
Follow their journey at www.8000km.ca.
