We woke up very early on the morning of June 5, 2016. It was muggy, and it looked like it might rain all day, but a bit of bad weather wasn’t going to stop us from achieving our goals.

This was our first year participating in the Becel Heart & Stroke Ride for Heart, and we were incredibly excited to be a part of Canada’s largest charity cycling event in support of heart disease and stroke research.

Having the opportunity to ride (and as of last year, run or walk) along the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway in Toronto with 20,000 other people was nothing short of amazing, but that’s not the reason why we decided to get involved with this charity. Our driving motivator was, and still is, our clients.

As family lawyers, we see how divorce can affect our clients. They often have to cope with high levels of stress for a prolonged period of time, and this can increase their chances of having a heart attack. In fact, an 18-year-long study conducted by Matthew Dupre of Duke University found that divorce – especially for women – appeared to significantly boost one’s odds of having a heart attack.

We want the very best for our clients, and we want them to be healthy and happy long after their legal matter is resolved. By participating in the Becel Ride for Heart, we were able to proactively provide support for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and help fund initiatives focused on developing preventative solutions for heart disease and stroke for our clients who are going through a divorce. So of course we want to participate again this June!

Last year, we raised $1,695, and we’re aiming to double that number and collect $3,000 before this year’s event, which takes place on June 4. Some of us will be running or walking 5 or 10 kilometres, while others will be cycling 25, 50 or 75 kilometres. Regardless of the distance we travel, our goal is the same – to create more survivors.

If you’d like to help us reach our fundraising goal,  please donate here.