Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Remembering Dad


One person who will be traveling with me on my upcoming southbound journey, at least in spirit, will be my dad, Frank Poole. Dad passed away this past spring, age 89. It was from him that I first began to learn of the joys of cycling. I remember as a child he would tell me about his biking adventures as a young boy growing up during the depression in Montreal.  He would cycle more than 20 miles to go to his favourite swimming hole.  Later, his first job was as a bicycle messenger, earning ten cents an hour. He gave me my first defensive cycling trip, which I carry with me to this day.  "You may have the right of way", he would advise, "but they have the right of weight."  Without dad's support, I wouldn't be making this trip.

Dad's final years were spent at the Rideau Perley Veterans Home in Ottawa. I really cannot speak highly enough of this amazing facility. All of their staff, whether in the kitchen, medical, management, or housekeeping are professionals who show the utmost respect for the residents and their families. I dare not name one person, for fear of leaving anyone out. It is a wonderfully caring institution and deserves our ongoing support.  For this reason, I will be donating a nickel for every kilometer I pedal on my upcoming journey south.  If you are familiar with Perley, & appreciate what they do, please consider making a pledge in support of this outstanding facility through their foundation.   If you do, please let me know, so I can track it on this blog.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Getting the Ball Rolling

I am at an exciting juncture in this fun(d)raising scheme. Last week I completed the nine day Otesha "Pedal to Plate" tour around eastern Ontario. (Yes, that is me pitching hay in one of the videos.)  I learned so much about local food. I spent more time on a farm in those nine days than I had ever before in my almost sixty one years of existence. I am one of those born and raised urban dwellers who has for a lifetime believed, (and inaccurately so as explained to me by Derrick Jensen), that our food comes from a supermarket. I have an entirely different respect now regarding agriculture, having experienced first hand how much work is involved.

On this tour I took the opportunity to talk up my fun(d)raising idea and two people each committed to contributing a nickel per kilometer that I pedal toward the Andrew Wolf Memorial Bursary Fund. Andrew was tragically killed in a traffic accident during the Otesha 2010 Highlands and Islands Tour.  His family subsequently initiated a bursary in his name in order to make Otesha programs more accessible.  Another person has committed to volunteering time one day a week to use his bicycle to deliver Meals on Wheels for every week I cycle. How cool is that for a start to the campaign?!?  I complete the trip, and over three hundred dollars is given to a good cause & at least ten meals are delivered to someone who needs nourishment.

If you have a cause you want me to ride for, leave a comment & I will promote it on the blog. If you wish to remain anonymous, send me an email - leonardpoole AT gmail DOT com

As they say at Otesha - Peace and Bike Grease!