Driven to give back

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This article was published 16/03/2022 (1464 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When it comes to giving back to the community, Rick Mahon is all about putting his best foot forward.

Mahon, a Woodhaven resident, moved to Winnipeg from Ontario in 2012 with his wife Janet. After retiring from a long career as a dispatcher in the transportation industry in 2017, he took a job with Beaver Bus Lines as a driver for school and highway coaches.

“I love the interaction with people,” Mahon said.

When Habitat for Humanity Manitoba was doing its build with former U.S. president Jimmy Carter in 2017, Mahon drove folks to and from the build site. The experience was a positive one.

“To see Jimmy Carter at that time was inspiring,” Mahon said.

In 2019, Mahon had an opportunity to work directly with Habitat, as a driver for the organization’s Cycle of Hope. According to Habitat’s website, the annual event is Habitat’s longest running, signature fundraising event “where cyclists challenge themselves by riding long distances through breathtaking scenery.” 

“I’d never been anywhere further west than Regina,” Mahon said. “It was such a great trip. Dealing with the people from Habitat, and what these athletes go through in their fundraising, was really inspiring. It led me to keep going with it.”

The experience galvanized Mahon, who said he and his wife had always planned to get involved in volunteering in their retirement. In the summer of 2020 and 2021, Mahon and his wife volunteered as part of the Spirit of Hope ride from Hecla to Winnipeg. It also spurred him on to begin cycling more.

“The riders, the friendship, the camaraderie, it gives a person a drive to keep going,” he said. “I continue to ride myself, though I haven’t done any of the rides myself. I do it as a fitness thing. Last year I rode about just under 1,700 kilometres. This year, I’m planning to double that if I can.”

In the time since that first experience, Mahon has attended other Habitat events, and hopes to get involved in a build this summer, along with commitments to the Cycle of Hope, Spirit of Hope, and September’s Ride Around the Lake fundraisers.

“The first key ceremony I went to was humbling, to see the look on the families faces, the pride. To see that Habitat can provide that,” he said. “The whole attitude, the atmosphere that they provide is very infectious. It spreads. It’s very easy to get involved. It’s fun, but it’s more than fun. It’s fulfilling to know that you’ve put effort in alongside the family that has been allotted the house. At the end of the day, you go home and feel good.”

When driving, Mahon takes pride in making sure the riders he’s working with are comfortable and can enjoy their experience to the fullest.

“I always try to get whatever they need, as long as I can offer it,” he said. “Whether it’s running and grabbing water or whatever. It’s a good feeling that people see that that’s the way I do things. It’s great.”