The last time Ward Saito rode a bicycle for 100 kilometres, there was no grey in his hair. Beginning Sept. 21, he'll ride that distance for five consecutive days.
Saito, a Coquitlam resident who operates the Canadian Tire on Grandview Highway in Vancouver, just west of Boundary Road, will be riding 500 kms up Vancouver Island and down the Sunshine Coast to help raise money and awareness for Jumpstart, the retailers' program to help kids participate in community sports.
"It's a little intimidating," says Saito of the distance.
A regular bike commuter, Saito's set aside his heavy hybrid bike for a sleek lightweight carbon Cervélo racing bike on which he's been training for a couple of months. In addition to logging long hours in the saddle, his rides have included arduous climbs up the North Shore mountains to steel his legs for the rigors of the road.
He'll be joined on the ride by store operators and company executives from across Canada. They'll visit stores along the way, where managers have organized community events like safety rodeos, bike inspections and maintenance clinics, local rides, barbecues and bike decorating contests. The tour wraps up on Sept.25 with a Pedal Festival at the Vancouver store on 2290 Cambie St.
It's an active effort to help get kids active, says Saito.
"One-third of kids can't afford to enter sports. If they can't participate in sports, it's a lifestyle issue that hurts their self-esteem."
Canadian Tire's Jumpstart program has helped more than 100,000 kids get involved with sports in the past five years by paying for registrations, transportation costs or purchasing equipment. And because the company covers all costs for administering and promoting the program, all the money raised goes directly to the kids.
For more information about Jumpstart go to www.canadiantire.ca/jumpstart.
