Spirit Riders raise $22,425 for MS research

This means no more car repair bills, let alone worrying about the skyrocketing price of gas.

So it was only a matter of time before Dumais put her enthusiasm for biking to the service of others. Just a couple of weeks ago, Dumais participated in the Rona MS Bike Tour fundraiser, a two-day cycling event in the Outaouais region of Quebec whose purpose is to raise funds and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis.

To help raise money, Dumais joined the Spirit Riders cycling team, who had set themselves an ambitious goal: to raise over $15,000 for the Quebec branch of the MS Society of Canada. Well, they beat that total, and then some. They raised $22,425.14 — an amount made all the more astonishing considering they are a team of only 13 members.

“If you look at the total amount of money raised per capita for each team, ours was among the best”, said Dumais.

From a personal standpoint, Dumais raised well over $1,000, a feat that she attributes to the generosity of her friends and acquaintances, many of which are Westmount residents.

“Westmount has a culture of giving, and at the same time, there is a togetherness in Westmount that I haven't encountered anywhere else”, said Dumais. “People really look out for each other here. It's one of the nice things about this city, and it definitely contributed to how much I was able to raise.”

As a reward for the amount of money she raised, Dumais was entitled to either a snazzy new cycling jersey, or free registration for next year's event. For Dumais, the choice was easy.

“I'm going to participate again next year, so I chose the free registration. When you attend the ceremony at the end of the weekend, and you hear the stories of those suffering from MS, it's so inspiring. There's no going back”, said Dumais.

Multiple Sclerosis is the most widespread disease that affects the central nervous system amongst young Canadian adults, and there is still no cure. Nevertheless, in the last couple of years, there have been a number of research breakthroughs, and every dollar counts in the drive toward a cure.

“We are close to finding a cure, and the research being done right now is so important”, said Diane Rivard, from the MS Society of Canada.

“A large portion of the $18 million we got last year came from fundraising events like the MS Rona Bike Tour. We have more volunteers working for us than any other organization in Canada, and volunteers like Dumais are the cornerstone of our organization”, said Rivard.