Gananoque to Prescott

July 25
Julie was right on time - in fact, she was early. We still had to finish the blog, finish the smoothy and finish clearing up. By the time I came out Lindsay had already met Julie, our rider for the day, and her brother Andre who was acting as Julie's support team. And Julie and Andre came equiped. Not wanting to slow us down in the event of a bike problem, she had a tool box as big as a hockey bag full of all kinds of gadgets and neat little doodads. And, just in case of a really big bike problem she had a couple of spare tires, wheels, a seat. "I just took all these things off my husband's bike for spare parts."
It was a beautiful morning - bright, sunny and even hot - a nice change from the rest of the summer. Lindsay set the pace and they were off. Andre and I did the leap frog thing around the riders.
My fellow support team, Andre and I pulled over at a scenic spot near Pointe au Baril, we were too busy talking to notice the riders went by, but we did take note of the mini van that pulled in. Turned out to be Ted, a colleague of Mel's from Xerox and his mother in law Janet. They were at the cottage in the neighbourhood and read in the blog that we would be coming this way. So off we all went in pursuit of the riders, me, Andre and Ted and Janet. It was a convoy. Ted had been at the Pep Rally in Toronto last week. He noted the excellent speakers, especially Lindsay. So Janet was here in an official capacity as a photographer from the Oakville Today newspaper. "I wanted you to ride through Oakville but this will do", she said motioning us to stand together so she could snap a few.

Alert!! Change in Route for July 25 and July 26

July 25

ALERT!!

Saturday July 25th-Gananoque to Prescott (instead of Morrisburg)
Sunday July 26th - Prescott to Ottawa

We have made a change to our route for Saturday July 25th and Sunday July 26th.
As we will have a group with us it has been suggested by expert local riders that we ride back roads into Ottawa from Prescott rather than Morrisburg.

Napanee, Kingston, Gananoque

July 24
While yesterday was occupied with multiple flats, a crash, and endless rain, today was the exact opposite - sunshine and a tail wind to support the riders. Ben and Chris continued their time trial challenge on hills. In the end I think they split. Mike and John, our road warriors in their full helmets, continued to keep us amused with their graciousness and self deprecating humour.

A highlight for us was a fun mid-day event in Kingston organzied by Ben Bowen, owner of Seaway Solutions. Ben and his team hosted a delighful barbecue which was a great way to meet Ben's team members, family and friends and customers. John, from J&J Cycle provided on-site support to the Ride For Mental Health by coming to the barbecue and performing tune-ups to the riders' bikes. And of course the Canadian Mental Health Association was present represented by Executive Director Michael who received a handsome cheque from Seaway Solutions in support of their local mental health programs.

It was a sad goodbye to the boys, Mike, John and Ben who all headed home after the BBQ. Our friends Bruce and Jill came to the rescue transporting Ben because of the train strike.

As we had not completed the day's mileage we were to be accompanied on the last leg to Gananaoque. Ben Bowen then hopped on his newly tuned up bike, and along with David from Service, personally escorted us all the way to Gananoque. We said our good-byes to Chris, as he was returning home after 3 great days of riding.And we said good bye and thanks to Ben from Seaway Solutions. Now that his bike is tuned and road-tested he is off to a flying start of enjoyable rides for the rest of the summer.

Wherever we go mental health awareness is slowly building, the fund raising continues to grow, and the people we meet are incredibly enthusiastic about being a part of the Ride For Mental Health.

Port Cobourg to Napanee

July 23

It was a day of threes. Well, that and alot of rain - three times more rain than anybody needs. Especially on a bike.

So before we even got started this morning Chris had the first of three flat tires for the day. He got that repaired pretty quickly - just before the rain started in earnest. And it meant it. The rain pretty much never let up all day. Everything and everybody was wet through and through. Our riders were stoic, riding on through the mess, never complaining ... much. It's all part of the experience.

When we caught up to our riders we found they had had a crash - One of the riders went over a level railway crossing that was in pretty bad shape and very slippery because of the rain. He went down and two more fell as well. Luckily no one fell into the traffic and no one suffered serious injury.

Everyone was glad to finally find the hotel. It was a long, tough day in the saddle and a milestone 100 km ride for Ben, Mike and John. 109.5 actually.

At one point in the day Lindsay and I stopped at a store along the route to pick up a few necessities. Just as we were pulling out I stopped because I thought I heard something. I did. It was a loud whistle. In our family when you hear that whistle you stop. So I stopped. I turned to look out the window and saw a woman hurrying over to the RV. There's only 3 people that can whistle like that; me, Debbie and now this woman.

"I have to give you something. Just wait." she said. She came back shortly with a cheque. "My son was bipolar and he took his own life." she explained bluntly. "There was just no help." She went on to tell a distressing story that is not uncommon among parents trying to get help for an adult child if the ill person refuses treatment (medication). Mania is often characterized by impulsivity,risk taking behaviour, grandiose thoughts, irritability and aggression, as well as euphoria. The individual often has a lack of insight into their illness. Treatment for bipolar disorder can be very effective.
" We couldn't get him help. He was eventually arrested, lost his family, lost his business, lost everything ..." her voice tailed off.

July 22

Well it wasn't that hard, to get back on the road, I mean. The hard part was getting back on the road so early. What with the traffic and stop lights and garbage strike issues and all, we decided to invoke the city limits rule. So we agreed to meet all our riders in the east end of the city at, of course, a curling club. We had to get up earlier than usual to get out to the club.

For the next few days we will be a pack of riders. Mel and Lindsay as usual, plus Ben, John Fray and Mike Majeski. George Abate would ride with us til Oshawa and another rider, Chris Tipton, due to bike troubles, would join up with us along the route later in the day.

Despite the heavy traffic in some places and construction in other places, this section of Highway 2 is quite nice. You get a little bit of everything; city, country, small towns, lake views. And you meet some pretty nice people. Take Lesley for instance. She and Orca came out to cheer on the riders through lovely downtown Courtice. And Todd and his staff at the Comfort Inn in Cobourg were helpful in directing us to a bike shop for some repairs to John's bike. And Dave at Sommerville Sports in Cobourg made the repairs to John's bike to quickly get us rolling again. And the fellow who stopped us in the parking lot to inquire about The Ride and wish us well.

We appreciate all the help and encouragement we are getting. Makes the day a little easier. Probably someone you know is recovering from a mental illnes and would appreciate a call or a note or a visit.

Toronto Pep Rally

July 17

This was a Really Big Day for us. To say it was amazing and awesome is an understatement. It's taken a few days to digest it all. Margaret Zanel, Lesley Pauze and their committee, working closely with the Toronto Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association produced an event that drew over 400 participants to Trinity Square in the Distilery District in downtown Toronto. Friends and family were there, a contingent from Ceridian, volunteers and supporters from the Canadian Mental Health Association - Toronto Branch, and of course Xerox.

The swirling kilts and swirling bagpipe music of the Scarborough Pipes and Drums wove through the crowd-filled courtyard. MC Jim Doherty stood at the podium weaving a story as he does so well, most of it was true. The cheque presentation was enormous - well, the cheques were and the amounts.

Lindsay spoke on behalf of consumer survivors everywhere, giving people a glimpse into the devastating impact mental illness can have on a life.

Mel told the audience a bit of our story, and a bit of The Ride for Mental Health story. But mainly he just said how it is and that it shouldn't be. Mental disorders are all too common. There are too many barriers for people looking for help for mental illness, inadequate access to treatment and not enough support services. Symptoms of mental illness most often begin in young people between the ages of 16 and 24. Who's helping them? Dr. Goldbloom of The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Board of Directors of the Canadian Mental Health Association - Toronto Branch and Vice Chair of the Mental Health Commission of Canada said "Mel is right". He said better treatments are needed and research is woefully underfunded. And Councillor Mike Feldman from the Toronto City Council shared his very personal connection to mental illness illustrating the pain for parents and family members that is all part of living with mental illness.

The initiave for change starts with awareness. We will change attitudes about mental illness and make a difference. Dr. Goldbloom referred to us a "social movement".
Uh,groovy man, like, right on. I haven't been a social movement for a long time. Keep on truckin'. . . well, RV'n anyway.

Richmond Hill Curling Club

July 16

From just past Shaftsbury I could see the flourescent colours ahead. As we approached, the seven riders, Deb in the other support vehicle and me in the RV, the colours took on more distinctive shapes. People, lots of people and balloons and colourful signs greeted us as we drove into the parking lot at the Richmond Hill Curling Club. These are our friends; curlers, golfers, ball players and neighbours. It was a warm and happy welcome, with hugs and handshakes and photo ops.

A lot of our friends are familiar with our family's story of mental illness,the ups and downs, and many of our friends have faced serious health challenges of their own. Sometimes life just isn't fair. Nobody asks to get sick and nobody deserves to get sick. Everyone deserves support and access to timely treatment. But the reality of mental illness is that wait times, services and treatment, research and fundraising lags far behind those for other health problems such as diabetes.

Manager Debbie managed to wangle a ride with Stacey on the tandem bike before she managed us all inside the club. MC and Club Prez, Kevin, intoduced Richmond Hill Mayor, Dave Barrow who brought greetings and congratulations from the town. Kevin then introduced former club prez and Xerox retiree, Orton Beaumont, who brought congratulations and cash donations.

It was great to see everyone and catch up on their summers, golf and baseball. I lamented to someone that I haven't yet swung a golf club or hit a baseball this summer. She replied "You never hit a baseball last year when you actually played."