Hundreds of students, teachers, doctors and other community members came together for an “electrifying” day at Elgin Park Secondary Wednesday, raising money for Peace Arch Hospital’s emergency department.
The fourth-annual Cycle4:ER – a 10-hour cycle-a-thon that saw 48 teams ride on dozens of stationary bikes in the school’s gym – brought in more than $46,000.
Funds raised from the event will go towards the expansion of PAH’s ER, a $15-million project that will nearly triple the size of the facility.
“What you guys are doing today, is saving many lives,” Dr. Amir Behboudi, head of PAH’s ER department, told the excited crowd.
“You should be very proud of yourselves.”
The fundraiser, organized by a group of Grade 12 students, reached far beyond the walls of Elgin Park, and included teams of medical staff, business owners and elementary students. The event included food, entertainment, prizes, giveaways and presentations.
Though the funds raised were short of this year’s goal of $68,000 – based on the statistic that last year 68 per cent of the community visited PAH’s ER – the faculty and students had plenty to be proud of.
“Seeing these kids and their amazing leadership abilities, and the outpouring of community support, we were all very proud to be a part of this community event,” PE teacher and co-organizer Sue Janzen told Peace Arch News.
To date, Cycle4: events have raised close to $200,000 for local projects and charities.
VIDEO: Cycle4 raises $46,000 for Peace Arch Hospital