Pedalling across province to raise money for relief efforts

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This article was published 23/07/2022 (1361 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

IT gives a whole new meaning to daddy-daughter date.

Gerald Warkentin, 60, and his oldest daughter Amelia, 27, plan to cycle across Manitoba, beginning Aug. 1, to raise money for Ukrainians.

The trek from Togo, Sask., to the Ontario border is expected to take two weeks.

“My main goal in embarking on this adventure is to complete it and then still get along with my dad at the end of it,” Amelia joked.

Gerald has been cycling long distances across Canada since he was in his 20s. This will be his third time fundraising in support of the Mennonite Central Committee, which he began doing in 2020.

“I call it a gift from COVID,” Gerald said. “Both summers, I had totally different plans for holidays and it kind of gave me something to enjoy still, even though you couldn’t travel much. It gave me purpose to do the trips with having a fundraiser.”

They hope to raise at least three dollars per kilometre for the committee’s Ukraine emergency response fund.

The 890-kilometre stretch should fetch $2,670.

The pair chose the fundraiser because of their “soft spot” for the organization and as a way to provide material support for those suffering in Ukraine.

“This is a way that we can do something and work towards making a difference in a small way,” Amelia said. “It’s an opportunity for me to demonstrate my faith and my beliefs and to lead by example.”

The MCC has a long history of helping people in Ukraine, but recently amped up its support in the region.

“We’ve been working in Ukraine since our organization began in the 1920s. We actually started as a relief and development organization responding to the then-famine and hunger crisis,” said Laura Kalmer, marketing director at the Mennonite Central Committee.

The non-profit is supporting those with their boots on the ground in Ukraine by shipping supplies to the region and assisting displaced persons. As of Jun. 13, the organization has raised over $8.8 million for the crisis in Ukraine.

“Most of our partners are responding with emergency relief, doing things like distributing locally purchased food baskets (and) medicines,” Kalmer said.

Amelia said her father was surprised when she asked if she could join him. By the time he realized she was serious, he had completed a detailed itinerary. The duo looks forward to the bonding experience.

“My dad has shared with me before that biking long distance puts him in his happy place. It’s his way of connecting with God and connecting to nature,” Amelia said.

“It’s not too often that a 60-year-old man can cycle with their daughter 800 kilometres,” Gerald said.

Kalmer said the organization appreciates the support. The fundraiser is among the many creative ways Manitobans have showed support for those in Ukraine, she said.

“We’re just incredibly humbled by the outpouring of care and compassion and by the ways that people are thinking about and launching to support our efforts In Ukraine,” Kalmer said. “Those efforts are making a difference in people’s lives.”

Donations are accepted on the MCC website, under the Giving Registries webpage.

cierra.bettens@freepress.mb.ca