A local octogenarian recently pedalled through the scenic Gimli area in support of a cause that’s close to his heart.
Ron Hickey recently participated in the MS Bike event in Gimli, which took place on Aug. 24 and 25 with options of a 59-kilometre route and a 91-kilometre route. It was his 24th time participating in the ride, and he also spent 11 years volunteering for the event.
For Hickey, who lives between Stony Mountain and Stonewall, the best part of the experience is reconnecting with riders that he’s met over the years while also meeting new people.
“It’s an enjoyable weekend. We do get a lot of support from the MS staff as well as the volunteers. When COVID hit, there was a period when we didn’t ride. Then numbers dropped off after and they haven’t bounced back. It would be nice to see more people participate to get those numbers back up,” he said.
“It’s good exercise for people as they get ready for this ride. I put on over 2,000 kilometres this summer, so I was ready for the ride. It’s usually a very enjoyable weekend and for a good cause.”
While preparing to celebrate his 83rd birthday, Hickey set two lofty goals for himself: to cycle 2,500 kilometres and raise $5,000 for the MS Society. Halfway through the year, Hickey had already achieved his goals.
Several years ago, he biked from Mexico to Stonewall with his son on his old Canadian Tire bike. And as of last year, he had logged a total of 39,000 kilometres so he set a new distance goal of 40,075 kilometres, which is equivalent to biking around the world at the equator. This summer, he achieved this goal on July 12.
And so far this year, Hickey has raised more than $15,000 for MS Bike, the second-highest in Manitoba. Over the decades, he has raised more than $61,000 in total.
Hickey has been a dedicated fundraiser for the MS Society since 1998.
He still recalls when he first became aware of the disease about six decades ago when a woman in a rural community had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
“This gave me a first-hand view of the far-reaching challenges that some have to endure. Later in life, I got to know many others living with the challenges of MS — neighbours, co-workers and friends,” Hickey said.
“This prompted me to try to help. There are many worthy causes, and I feel this ranked among the more important ones.”
He also expressed gratitude to everyone who has shown support along the way.
“I’d like to send a big thank-you to all of my donors of any amount,” he said. “Without them, none of this would be possible.”
He notes that Canada has one of the highest rates of MS globally, adding that more than 90,000 Canadians live with MS.
“We are also home to some of the world’s top MS researchers, whose work is at risk of not continuing due to the economic crisis,” Hickey said.
“My fundraising for MS Bike will help support their ground-breaking work into treatments and ultimately a cure.”
Hickey continues to fundraise for the cause, and donations can be made until Sept. 30 by searching for “Ronald Hickey” on the MS Bike website at msspbike.donordrive.com
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