Eight cyclists from Ukraine brought their peace tour to Red Deer Monday night.
Chumak Way Cycle Tour of North America began in Los Angeles, Calif. on May 23 to cycle 10,000 km across the United States and into Canada before returning to the U.S. to Washington, D.C. on August 29.
Cyclist Dmytro Prokin said as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues, the cycling tour is helping to bring attention to what is happening in their country.
“We are a peaceful nation. We are riding for peace,” said Prokin in Red Deer on Tuesday before the team left for Edmonton.
Cyclists are on the road for 150 km, five days a week, travelling with two people in a support van. They will visit about 400 communities before the end of the tour.
The cyclists are riding in support of families and orphans suffering from the war in Eastern Ukraine. Meetings are set up in communities along the tour to meet with local Ukrainian populations.
He said not a lot of information is available to Ukrainians in Canada and America about the what is happening. There’s also a lot of fake news out there.
“Here there’s no Ukrainian TV, there’s no radio stations. In each city we have a meeting. They have many questions.”
Monday night they met with about 30 people at St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church.
They also want to speak with other Canadians and Americans.
“Everywhere we try to connect with people and meet people,” Prokin said.
He said the team took their peace tour to Europe in 2016 where they cycled 11,000 across 16 countries.
“We want peace all around the world.”
The tour is also about promoting innovative Ukrainian projects in North America.
For more information about the tour visit Chumak Way Cycling Tour on Facebook.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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