(Toronto) — On Sunday, June 6, from coast-to-coast-to-coast, over 6,000 people shared their hearts in their local communities and homes as part of the 34th annual Manulife Heart & Stroke Ride for Heart. Ride for Heart has raised approximately $1.6 million dollars and counting, just shy of its $1.9 million goal with fundraising still open and support continuing to roll in.
“We’re incredibly grateful to the thousands of people across the country who took part in this year’s virtual Ride for Heart,” says Doug Roth, CEO, Heart & Stroke. “Their dedicated efforts and shared passion to beat heart disease and stroke have led to great results, getting us close to our fundraising goal with time left for people to donate and support Heart & Stroke. We’re also incredibly grateful for the continued support of our partner, Manulife, and their continued dedication to the heart and brain health of people in Canada.”
Heart disease and stroke have not gone away during the COVID-19 pandemic and the virus poses a greater risk to people living with these conditions.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Ride for Heart was once again a completely virtual event. Participants connected digitally using the new Ride for Heart app which included event day programming, fitness tracking capabilities and more. Leading up to today’s event, the app helped participants reach their goals with fitness challenges and fundraising tips. The app also allowed people to share their heart, as the app tracked their physical activity and used custom heart-shaped maps to show their progress on event day.
“I am proud to say that through this event and our partnership with Heart & Stroke, we are ensuring that critical, lifesaving research continues to mitigate – and even one day eliminate – the heart-related health risks of Canadians,” says Jason Lemieux, Chief Marketing Officer, Manulife Canada.
Since its inception in 1988, Ride for Heart has raised over $77 million to support Heart & Stroke’s mission to save lives and beat heart disease and stroke. A final fundraising total for this year’s Ride will be available after the deadline for fundraising closes on August 31, 2021.
Join us in 2022!
Get a head start on training for next year’s Ride for Heart! Visit RideForHeart.ca today to indicate your interest in signing up for next year and guarantee yourself the lowest possible registration fee for 2022.
About Heart & Stroke
Life. We don’t want you to miss it. That’s why Heart & Stroke leads the fight to beat heart disease and stroke. We must generate the next medical breakthroughs, so Canadians don’t miss out on precious moments. Together, we are working to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery through research, health promotion and public policy.
Contact information
Joshua Terry
Joshua.Terry@heartandstroke.ca
647-444-4391 (mobile)