4 grandfathers pedal through Calgary during fundraising ride across Canada for wells in Africa
A bike ride of 10,000 kilometres, scheduled to last 65 days to raise funds for 65 water wells in Africa, rolled through Calgary Thursday.
Estimates are that 785 million people on this planet do not currently have access to clean water and, on average, a person dies every 90 seconds from a preventable water-related disease.
"We are grandfathers," said cyclist Mike Woodard, "It would break our hearts to have to watch one of them die. We just thought, lets make a difference in the lives of people in villages in Africa."
The ride — which is carving a path across Canada from the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean — has encountered numerous challenges to this point, but the motivation is strong to keep the team rolling on.
"Like today, when you’re riding through the rain, you think this is hard," Woodard told CTV News. "This is hard, but it would be a lot harder to watch your children die if they didn’t have clean water."
The group says a donation of $8.50 can help provide clean water for a person for a lifetime. Each well that is drilled services about 1,000 people and it costs about $8,500 to drill a well.
Donations are being accepted at Cycling 4 Water. The website also offers updates on the group's progress.
The team of cyclists are raising funds in partnership with the Global Aid Network (GAiN).
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.