The 34th annual Ride for Heart goes Sunday and it has never come at a more poignant time than this year for longtime Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond.
The Heart & Stroke Foundation’s annual fundraiser coincides with the first anniversary of her husband Bill's death from heart complications and ultimately a massive stroke on June 6, 2020.
“I think Bill would be pleased that we’ll be remembering his passing on the day we do the Ride for Heart,” Bond said. “He was a very big supporter of the Big Bike Ride and he loved the day we would ride the big bike so obviously the fact that June 6 is the date of the event where people step up to support Heart & Stroke, it ironically is the day that Bill passed away a year ago. Our team is working hard to raise funds to support families that are impacted by heart and stroke so in many ways I think Bill would be first of all grateful for the support that our team has been shown and also thankful that we will continue to advocate for increased resources and support for families who are impacted.”
For Team Bond, this event will be in celebration of Bill’s life and the contributions he made to his community, including raising funds and awareness around the need for access to Automated External Defibrillators in public spaces.
This is a program the Bond family is still fundraising for through the Prince George Community Foundation and the defibrillators installed in the future will be a legacy to honour Bill.
“I’m very excited that in the not-too-distant future we’ll be able to place a number of defibrillators in Bill’s honour and that will be an ongoing program,” Bond said. “So the combination of the Ride for Heart and having defibrillators in public spaces is something Bill was very passionate about so for us it’ll be an opportunity to celebrate the person Bill was and also to make a difference in his name. I know that would mean a lot to him.”
Bond said she's disappointed her team can't ride the big bike in person through downtown as in past years but she’s looking forward to using the Heart & Stroke Foundation app to create a heart shaped route to ride, walk or run on Sunday.
“Bill was impacted by heart issues through his latter years and ultimately died of a brain stroke so for us this is a very personal and heartbreaking day for us but on the other hand the fact that we’re going to walk in a heart shaped route as best we can - we’re still working on the details - but I think that’s very symbolic and I’m really grateful to Heart & Stroke for the support, for the encouragement and we continue to raise funds in Bill’s name and I certainly hope we’re going to make him very proud,” Bond said.
Her team's fundraising goal is $14,000 and they have about $11,000 so far. Team Bond has been the top fundraising team in the province for a number of years.
“As difficult as it will be, I think that there couldn’t be a more fitting way to honour Bill and the person that he was and we certainly wish the circumstances would be different but I know that he would want to say thank you to those who’ve donated and to the team that has been so faithful for so many years," Bond said. "We are so grateful that they chose to participate and donate in Bill’s honour. It means the world to my family and me.”
Funds raised through Ride for Heart support life-saving research, health promotion and advocacy efforts that help Heart & Stroke meet the mission to prevent disease, saves lives and promote recovery from heart disease and stroke.
Those who wish to donate to Team Bond can do so here.
To register to participate, visit rideforheart.ca.
