Under a brooding sky and nasty wind, the Al’s Angels biker gang donned their vests and colours and rode out of Gimli, intent on raising as much money as they could this year for MS Canada.
And the team of seven cyclists taking part in the Gimli MS Bike ride really went the distance, raising $14,820 for multiple sclerosis research and programs to improve the quality of life for people with the disease.
Kerri Gaminek is the team captain of Al’s Angels. The team is named after her dad, Al Borys, who inspired family and friends to get pedalling for multiple sclerosis research 17 years ago. He has taken part in the ride every year since then and is now 92 years old.
“Dad is the reason why we do this. This was our 17th year participating,” said Gaminek, whose family has roots in Arnes, Gimli and Dunnottar.
A member of Gaminek’s family has multiple sclerosis, and her dad decided at the age of 76 to get a cycling team together. They came up with the name Al’s Angels, said Gaminek. At that time, it was only Borys, Gaminek, her son and her step-son. Then more members of the family and friends either joined the cycling team or volunteered at cycling rest stops along the route.
Now it’s a full-on family affair with Gaminek’s mom, aunt, sisters, a brother-in-law, daughter and her daughter’s fiancé, and a cousin and her son either riding or staffing the rest stops.
Because Bory’s will be 93 next month, the family “pressured” him to switch this year from a regular bike to an e-bike.
“We were a lot more comfortable with him on the e-bike. But he still did most of the course on the weekend. He starts training in the spring,” said Gaminek. “It’s quite an inspiration to all of us to see him out there.”
The event on the weekend of Aug. 23-24 took riders from the Gimli Recreation Centre and along a very busy stretch of Highway 9 through Sandy Hook to Winnipeg Beach, where they turned onto the old highway running closer to the lake and continued to Dunnottar. There are different distances riders can complete.
“Two of our riders did the whole route, which is about 135 kilometres [84 miles],” said Gaminek. “It’s a brutal ride even in good conditions because lots of traffic goes by super fast [on Highway 9], and there’s a long stretch of road where there are no shoulders.”
Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the world. The disease attacks the protective covering (myelin) of the brain and spinal cord and interrupts or distorts nerve impulses. Symptoms vary from person to person but can include balance problems, dizziness and vertigo, bladder dysfunction, bowel dysfunction, cognitive changes, fatigue, difficulty walking, heat intolerance and blurred vision.
Communities across the country hold annual MS Bike fundraisers. People can ride in the event or participate virtually at home. The Gimli event is Manitoba’s only MS Bike fundraiser.
There were 120 participants (22 teams) in the 2025 ride. They raised $165,254 and rode a total of 8,221 kilometres, according to MS Canada’s bike donor drive page. Al’s Angels raised $14,820 with Gaminek personally raising $5,380, making her the fifth highest fundraiser among cyclists (from other teams) such as Ron Bailey, Darren Bye, Tobie Berthon, Ronald Hickey, Kristen Arnott, Alex Dyck, John Wanke, Lee Cooper and Adam Tafener.
Deborah Thordarson, who lost a brother-in-law to MS, is a member of Al’s Angels and has cycled with the team for the past 15 years. The team has raised a healthy amount of money over the years.
“Our team is comprised of local and Winnipeg members and has raised well in excess of $150,000 over the years,” said Thordarson, who lives in Gimli. “We even have a member from England who participates every year and is 82, though this year he had to miss. So with Al, who is 92, Peter at 82, myself at 72 and Al’s daughter, 62, we are a formidable team. We have a few young ones as well.”
Al’s Angels is looking for new members. They already have about 12 people signed up for the 2026 ride.
COVID decimated not only Al’s Angels’ team, which used to have 20 or so members, but also other teams. Bikers used to fill the Gimli Recreation Centre parking lot from end to end.
“Before COVID I think there were around 600 riders. When we came back after COVID, [our team] had four members. We’re trying to build our team back up again and bring in new riders,” said Gaminek. “If anybody’s interested in trying out the ride, you are welcome to join Al’s Angels. It’s a lot more fun when you belong to a team and you’ve got that sense of camaraderie and support.”
