Fin

Yesterday, I woke to the hotel phone ringing. I was asked to come down to the lobby to pick up something that was dropped off for me. I was given a book and an envelope by the receptionist. As I walked away, I opened the envelope and found $700.00 worth of cheques to make a difference in the fight against cancer here in Newfoundland.

At 11:30 a.m., we packed up the RV and headed to City Hall, where the final ride-out was going to occur. I was met by Mayor O'Keefe, members of the Dr. H Murphy Cancer Care Foundation, and Senator Rod Zimmer. As promised back in Ottawa on the condition of an August 15 arrival into St. John's, Mr. Zimmer had a cheque for $1,000 for Chase the Cure.

The dedication and generosity this man has shown to Chase the Cure has been remarkable. He has been an inspiration to be around and someone that I will continue to keep in touch with after this trip, and I am excited to see our friendship to continue to flourish!

Also present was Michael, a young boy who has inspired me throughout this trip. He is currently fighting this disease and was when we got in contact back in November. I remember his pure determination, positivity, and courage he showed while dealing with his disease. Throughout my trip I relied on this to get me over difficult days. I was thrilled to have him and his family there. You know those cheques from the morning... well that was a direct initiative by Michael and his family and I thank them so much for being difference-makers. I told Michael when we got to Topsail Beach where the front tire of my bike would reach the Atlantic he would be dipping it!

We rode away from city hall escorted by members of the police here in St. John's. They were absolutely fantastic with their smiles and encouragement for us cyclists as we pedaled the remaining 20kms. I cannot thank everyone enough who came out and made this trip to Topsail with me. It was truly special and something I will always remember. It was not an easy pedal, as the majority of the ride involved a long uphill, but the decent down to Topsail was well worth it!

We got to Topsail and Michael and I traveled down to the beach and the front tire touched the Atlantic. I couldn't wait any longer and the next thing you knew I dove into the Atlantic in my biking shoes, jersey, and shorts and felt the cool Atlantic water all over my body!!! Next thing I knew, Michael dove in, followed by Kenton and Liam two of his close friends who made the 20km ride out with me to topsoil. Soon, there was a bunch of us in the water realizing that we had made a difference with Chase the Cure this summer! The day was absolutely perfect, with a beaming sun, wonderful people, and an end to a great journey.

I thank everyone who has followed the Chase this summer and made a difference in the fight against cancer. As Canadians, we need to continue to be relentless against this disease and keep working harder and harder to find a cure as it hurts the lives of too many. There is nothing saying that you cannot have a lot of fun while you make a difference as we have been to so many wonderful events with wonderful people throughout this summer that have made a tremendous difference. I thank everyone who encouraged me throughout the summer as without you I would never reached our final destination.

To end off, I will go back to one of my favorite quotes of this summer by Lily Tomlin: "I always wondered why somebody didn't do something about that, then I realized I am somebody". I encourage you to continue to be that somebody and make a difference in the fight against cancer and together we will find a cure!

Together We Ride,

Wes Bauer