They're calling themselves the "Cross Canada Grandpas."
Mike Tanner, Elio Zanella, Volkmar Bandermann and John Greven intend to ride their bikes over 8,000 km, from coast to coast this summer for charity.
The men, all in their 70s, kicked off their journey at Trinity Church on Murphy Rd. in Sarnia Wednesday morning.
Cross Country Grandpa, Mike Tanner.
Tanner, from Sarnia, is pedalling in memory of his late wife, Dr. Linda Bowring who was an early pioneer in the field of end of life care.
"She was instrumental in establishing the palliative care unit at Bluewater Health and was a pioneer in the first hospice we had, back on London Rd.," says Tanner. "So, she sewed the foundation of the great end of life healthcare system that we enjoy in Sarnia."
The men started their drive to Vancouver Wednesday afternoon, where they planned to start their journey from Victoria, British Columbia to St John's, Newfoundland.
Tanner says they're hoping to raise money and awareness for four causes; Palliative Care and Hospice, Indigenous Healing, ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and Developing World Connections in Guatemala.
But, he also wants to inspire people they meet along the way.
"Not everyone can ride across Canada. Not everyone has the ambition. But, everyone should set goals for themselves that are bigger then they are and look to inspire themselves and others by what they can achieve," says Tanner. "That's the hidden message in what I'm trying to do here, is to tell people that age is not a factor."
The men hope to bike 100 km each day for 90 days from June to August.
They will be joined by John Damoiseaux, also of Sarnia, on the second half of their trek, from North Bay to St John's.
Dean Morais will be driving their supporting truck and trailer through the western portion of the ride.
Zanella, Bandermann, Greven and Morais hail from Burlington, Stratford and Windsor.
To follow their journey, click here.
