A week after the 12th annual Bellerose Bikeathon the donations are still trickling in, but as of Tuesday that total was more than $306,000 raised for Alberta cancer charities.
Sue Leighton, one of the organizers of the event, said the response this year has been as overwhelming as ever, with an additional $25,000 more raised than the 2014 total of $280,000.
“I would say St. Albert and our school community are second to none in terms of their generosity, volunteerism and work,” she said. “It means so much to me that every year these kids commit so fully to people they don’t even know, and they continue to do that with causes that matter to so many.”
Of the 79 teams and nearly 900 students taking part, the biggest fundraiser was Gabby Channon with a whopping $10,105, bringing her team “Deal or No Deal for Cancer,” to $13,200.
After a successful fundraiser of this magnitude, ordinary organizers might be inclined to rest on their laurels, but not this group. They’re already talking about how to do even better next year.
“We’re having our big exit meeting on Friday, and we start 2016 planning the week after,” Leighton said. “Cancer hasn’t quit yet and neither will we.”
