Dumais cycles in MS fundraiser

Dumais has lived in Westmount for 17 years and is one of the community’s more involved citizens. She is the recording secretary for the Westmount Municipal Association and also sits on the Healthy City committee

An avid adventurer, Dumais is a past-president of Randonnée Aventure, an outdoor enthusiast club. She will be participating in the RONA MS Bike Tour with the Spirit Rider team, a group of 13 cyclists all affiliated with the outdoor club.

She has thought about participating in the MS Bike Tour for some time now. “Coming into contact more and more with people with MS prompted me to do the event,” Dumais said this week. In fact, most of the people on the Spirit Rider team have someone close to them suffering from MS.

Team captain Linda Lessard has been involved in the event for the past 17 years. She said that since her team is composed of cycling enthusiasts, training for the event will not be difficult. “All of the team are strong cyclists,” Lessard said.

Some cyclists do not finish, but as Lessard points out, “It’s not a race — we’re cycling for a cause.”

Dumais sees the MS Bike Tour as an enjoyable way to help. A naturally athletic person, she is proud not to own a car and spends a considerable amount of her day walking or cycling. “Everybody should do a little something for a cause,” she said.

Fundraising for the Bike Tour takes a considerable amount of time and effort, and Dumais has already exceeded the $200 minimum needed to participate. “It seems to be a cause that really matters to people,” she said.

Dumais and her team will leave early on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 25 to be in advance of the group of cyclists because it is safer to ride in smaller numbers. The tour takes the cyclists from Rockland, Ont. to Gatineau, Que. and back the next day. The Spirit Riders expect to complete the first day by mid-afternoon after which there will be an awards ceremony and a dinner for all participants.

More than 10,000 cyclists are expected to participate in the 22 tours taking place across Canada between June and September.

If you wish to support the MSSC and Patricia Dumais please visit the website at www.mssociety.ca where you can donate in Dumais’s name or to her team, the Spirit Riders.