The Red Deer Regional Health Foundation will host a charity bike ride to raise money and to honour a woman who was killed in a hit and run collision last summer.
People can cycle, run or walk to help raise funds for children’s rehabilitation services during Cycle for Central Alberta on Saturday, April 22. The event is being held in memory of Heather Lawrence.
The event is not reserved for cyclists and is open to every level of skill and fitness.
“You can set an endurance goal or keep things laid back while you focus on the fundraising,” said Manon Therriault, foundation CEO and cycling enthusiast.
“Last year’s challenge was to ride for 12 hours, which riders could complete solo or share among team members. We wanted to make the event even more accessible this year, so we’re encouraging people to create their own goal.”
For more information on Cycle for Central Alberta, visit www.rdrhfoundation.com/cycle or call the foundation at 403-343-4773.
A Ride Hub at the Golden Circle in Red Deer will be open to approximately 30 registered participants. The event also supports riding, running and walking at home or on neighbourhood roads.
Lawrence, an avid cyclist and pediatric physiotherapist, whose life was taken in July 2022 when she was struck by a vehicle while cycling in the outskirts of Gasoline Alley.
Lawrence, who was 45 years old at the time of her death, worked for 18 years as a physiotherapist for Alberta Health Services, providing care to children from newborns to late teens. A long-time member of the Central Alberta Bicycle Club, she was instrumental in creating the Cycle for Central Alberta fundraiser.
READ MORE: Billboards are up in Red Deer to help solve a fatal hit and run
Last week, three billboards featuring photos of the car suspected of being involved in the fatal hit-and-run were installed in Red Deer. The car is described as a 1999 to 2003 Mazda Protégé, dark Green in colour, with heavy black tinted windows, aftermarket fog lights and exhaust, chrome five-spoke rims, no emblems and a roof-mounted antenna.
Anyone with information regarding the hit and run, or those responsible, is asked to contact Blackfalds RCMP at 403-885-3300. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com, or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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