MONTREAL, June 14, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - From June 10-14, 900 cyclists took a turn on the 30-person Mighty Bike to Pedal for Kids at the Montreal Children's Hospital (the Children's).

Thirty teams – mostly from the corporate sector – hit the streets of downtown Montreal to celebrate raising $450,000 for the Children's Craniofacial and Cleft Surgery Unit, which treats children with life-threatening skull and facial deformations.

Kids like David, who has Saethre-Chotzen Syndrome, a genetic disorder affecting the growth of his bones and posing a significant risk for his brain. He underwent three major operations and was forced to wear a "halo" around his head, 24-hours a day, for nearly three months.  This brace featured rods adjusted gradually to slowly force David's skull and facial bones to reposition themselves. David hated this painful process at the time, but now at 15, he recognizes the blessing it brought by allowing his skull and face to develop more naturally. Still, David says, the brace hurt.  "I hated it!"  

David's mom, Tina, remembers the moment she and her husband learned that their son, who was just ten days old, would face an uphill battle. "We were devastated, heartbroken," she says. For Tina, Pedal for Kids is a reminder that her family, and others like hers, are not alone. "The participants have no idea how much their support means to us. For families like ours, it means the world to know that a whole community is behind us."

Now a healthy and happy teenager, David is the face of this year's edition of Pedal for Kids. A dedicated fundraiser, David's ride alone raised over $43,000.

Thank you to our 2019 teams

"Over the past 28 years, Pedal for Kids has brought together hundreds of thousands of individuals, and hundreds of businesses and community groups, to raise over $13 M for sick children," says Renée Vézina, president of the Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation, who took part in David's Ride. "We are very grateful to our committee chair, John Lukca, our co-chairs Rudy Azoulay and Eddy Farrace, their wonderful organizing committee and this year's participating teams:  Air Canada Vacations, Aviron Montreal, Bell, CGI, Colliers, Dassault Systèmes, David's Ride, Deloitte, EY Wheels of Steel, Filo Import, Groupe Mach, Harrison's Ride, IGA, Jarislowsky Fraser, Jean Fortin et Associés, Laurentian Bank, Logibec, Morgan Stanley, Osler, Paysafe Group, RBC Royal Bank, Research in Action, Rio Tinto, Robinson Sheppard Shapiro, Scotiabank, Stikeman Elliott, TD Bank, Tecys, Tribal Fashion and Wells Fargo. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts."

About Pedal for Kids

Pedal for Kids began in 1992 when Sylvie Lalumière and Michael Conway decided to raise funds in memory of their daughter Meagan, who received treatment at the Montreal Children's Hospital. Twenty-eight years later, almost 300 000 cyclists and 200 participating teams have made possible the purchase of over 90 life-saving pieces of medical equipment and instruments. These funds have proven essential to the improvement of pediatric care, and equally to the innovation of several treatment centres, including the wake-up centre, the Family Resource Centre, the Psychiatry Department, the Adolescent Clinic and the Craniofacial and Cleft Palate Unit.

Visit our website:  Pedal for Kids

Video of riders
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO8pmQF5bLw 

ABOUT THE MONTREAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
The mission of the Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation is to inspire and mobilize the community to support relentless innovation in research, teaching and care at the Montreal Children's Hospital, the pediatric teaching hospital for McGill University's Faculty of Medicine, and pediatric research at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. Since its inception in 1973, the Foundation has raised over 450 million dollars, which has transformed the lives of sick children through innovative research and teaching projects, and cutting-edge care. To find out more, visit https://childrenfoundation.com/en/

SOURCE The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation

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