A province-wide cycling event to raise awareness of mental health this weekend, which came through Richmond, raised nearly half a million dollars for the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Organizer Michael Schratter said after the Sunday morning Ride Dont Hide event that $445,000 had been pledged and more is expected.
An avid cyclist who has dealt with bipolar disorder all his life, Schratter first rode across Canada in 1994 and then around the world in 2010 which culminated at the Richmond Olympic Oval to promote public dialogue on the issues facing one in five Canadians.
Schratter rode the 20-kilometre loop from Burnaby to Main Street with his wife and several friends, including one who cycled from the Okanagan to participate. A 10-kilometre and 60-kilometre route were also available, the latter an out-and-back ride to Richmond from Burnaby.
About 2,150 people took part in 13 communities in B.C. in the second annual event, with 1,100 from Metro Vancouver.
Organizers beat their fundraising goal of $400,000, or one dollar for every Vancouverite who is potentially affected by mental illness.
Because there was nothing like this that says, hey, enough is enough, you dont have to be embarrassed or ashamed, lets end the stigma, I think theres this huge pressure or backlog of energy and I think its going to spread even further, said Schratter, who is a school teacher.
A Canadian Mental Health Association branch in North York, a suburb of Toronto, also took part, and Schratter said he hopes thats a sign the event could go national next year, especially with Shoppers Drug Mart as the title sponsor.
We are extremely heartened by the turnout today, said Bev Gutray, CEO of the B.C. Canadian Mental Health Association.
These are just the early days. The (fundraiser) is going to be over time an unbelievable movement of hope and health; a way for people to step out into the light to celebrate and support those living with mental illness.
The ride began on a sombre note, Schratter said, with a moment of silence to honour Xavier Pelletier, the Victoria teenager who was killed in a crash in Washington State during last weekends Ride to Conquer Cancer charity event.
