Like many of us, Dr. Richard Larouche is looking forward to hitting the road and experiencing the beauty of the Canadian landscape this summer. Unlike the majority, he’ll be doing so on his bike, with an ambitious plan to cycle 8,000 kilometres across Canada as he looks to raise funds in support of the Alzheimer Society of Canada.
Larouche, a public health researcher in the University of Lethbridge’s Faculty of Health Sciences, will launch his ride Thursday, May 9 from the U of L and head east with a goal of finishing in St. John’s, Newfoundland. He’ll then cap off his summer by riding from Victoria, BC to Lethbridge.
“In total, I will cycle about 8,000 km, with a few planned detours to Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, Charlevoix, to visit my hometown of La Malbaie, Que., the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia and Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland,” says Larouche. “All the while I’ll be updating a journal on the web in both English and French and collecting funds for research on Alzheimer’s disease.”
His motivation for the trip is simple. As an avid cyclist and public health professor, he’s an advocate for physical activity. He’s also seen several family members struggle with the effects of Alzheimer’s.
“Personally, I’ve seen what this disease does to people and how it affects the families of those who are suffering,” he says. “Our population is aging rapidly and it is expected that the number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s will only increase in the coming years. I’ve set a goal to collect $25,000 to support research through the Alzheimer Society of Canada. I’d be more than happy to increase that goal if things go well.”
Larouche has established a campaign on the CanadaHelps platform (https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/tour-de-memoire-tour-of-memory/) and all donations greater than $10 will receive a tax receipt.
To view Larouche’s journal, visit https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1mr&doc_id=21848&v=1F and follow his cross-Canada journey.