By Joanne Rodgers, Bruce Peninsula Press
On 28 June 2025 local cyclist Adam Belanger will join a team of 10 to 12 making their way from Manitoulin down Highway 6 through the Northern Bruce Peninsula, a segment of their cross country 7,000 km cycle to commemorate the 45th Anniversary of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope. The National Ride of Hope is organized by Darrell Fox, Terry’s brother, who provided ground support for Terry on his famed Run.
A National Team of riders will leave Vancouver on 9 June, departing from the bronze statues of the Terry Fox Memorial at BC Place and for the next 32 days will ride through nine provinces and visit 13 cities on this epic journey. The National Ride for Hope will end in St John’s Newfoundland, at the Atlantic shore where Terry began his Marathon by dipping his artificial leg in the ocean (Terry Fox Mile 0). The cyclists are expected to average about 240 km per day.
Local cyclist hopes to fund raise $45,000
Local resident Adam Belanger, will be one of the cyclists on the National Team, and invites the local community to come out to meet and greet the cyclists during their visit to the Bruce. Belanger says the community has always shown tremendous support for the Annual Terry Fox Run held in Lion’s Head and looks forward to community support of this event and to his fundraising efforts.
Each cyclist has pledged to raise $45,000. Belanger plans to kick off his fundraising campaign in April.
Currently he is in training, riding his bike and getting his equipment ready. He will need to make his way to Vancouver for 9 June, while the logistics for the ride will be handled by Darrell and his team.
Belanger says while the funds to be raised seems ambitious, ideally he would like to get 450 donors to give $100, but anyone is welcomed to donate whatever they can. The Ride will have corporate sponsors who will match funds raised.
Everyone has a story
Everyone is touched in some way by cancer and everyone deals with it differently, says Belanger. His motivation for participating in this Ride, is his own father’s fight with cancer and in memory of a close childhood friend who recently died from cancer.
Belanger is the only rider from Grey Bruce. Belanger is an OPP officer who worked in Grey Bruce for over 22 years, and is currently the Provincial Coordinator of The Ride Smart Cycling Education Program, a youth program aimed at engaging youth through bikes. His fellow riders come from various parts of the countries and have various professions and each have their own story. “However everyone has a common goal, through this EPIC Ride, which is to cure cancer,” states Belanger.
On June 28 be sure to come out and cheer the Riders, follow Adam on instagram:
Adam will make regular posts during the months of April and May, sharing details on his preparation for the ride and promotion of the ride. He will be posting regularly along the ride, and will include details of the date and time that the team will be stopping on the Bruce Peninsula.
For more information, please visit https://terryfox.org/terry-fox-national-ride-of-hope/
To donate directly to Adam visit https://ride.terryfox.ca/page/adambelanger-an-epic-ride-remembering-terry/donate
