The Friends for Life Bike Rally is the only volunteer-led ride that brings people together for an inclusive, supportive, and life-changing challenge that inspires much-needed help for people living with HIV/AIDS in Toronto, Kingston and Montreal—and this year, Ottawa!
Please support Gary and Samuel who are biking in support of Bruce House.
The 27th annual Bike Rally will take place August 3-8th, 2025.
Meet Gary!
Dear Friends of Bruce House:
Just over four years ago, I learned about Bruce House when moving to Ottawa from Toronto. I came here to be the Rector (pastor) at St John the Evangelist Anglican Church at the corner of Elgin and Somerset Streets. I especially appreciated the long history of St John’s as an affirming and welcoming parish for 2SLGBTQIAA+. My first connection with Bruce House began when St John’s hosted a World AIDS Day observance. I am so impressed by Bruce House’s level of community engagement. I see Linda Truglia everywhere and love how she, and all the staff, are such champions of their work. I have attended some of events as well as the annual meeting held at St John’s. I appreciate Bruce House and I have been thinking about additional ways to support their work.
The Friends for Life Bike Rally is the main fundraiser for the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation. The annual six-day bike ride from Toronto to Montreal has raised over $16 million since it began in 1999. This year is the 27th annual ride – and my eleventh. We have 250 riders and our goal is to raise $1.8 million. I am so grateful to people who live in Ottawa for sponsoring my ride, but I have come to appreciate that it would mean a lot more if the ride would support a local AIDS service organization. PWA already partners with AIDS service organizations in Kingston and Montreal and now they have agreed to support Bruce House. Specifically, any fundraising by a rider above $2000 will be split 50-50 with Bruce House. My sponsors have now donated $4000 beyond the first $2000 so I am delighted that half of the $4000 goes to Bruce House. I hope you will add your support and help Bruce House!
As a cyclist, one of the best parts of moving to Ottawa has been to see such amazing cycling routes and so many cyclists. As more cyclists get to know our amazing Friends for Life bike ride, I am excited about what we can do to expand the amazing support Bruce House gives in our community. I hope you will take part. Please consider joining our ride in the future and help me to help Bruce House this year by sponsoring me at the following link: http://secure.pwatoronto.org/goto/garyvandermeer_2025
Thank you so much!
The Rev. Gary van der Meer
St John the Evangelist Anglican Church, Ottawa
Meet Sam!
I will be participating in the Friends for Life Bike Rally this August for the second consecutive year. I enjoyed the experience so much last year that I want to do it all over again. I also want to experience the last leg of the bike rally from Lancaster, Ontario to downtown Montreal without being deluged by the remnants of a tropical storm!
There is a special kind of magic that gets created during the six days of the bike rally. I learned this last year. It’s a deeply caring and supportive community raising awareness and funds for an important cause.
Treatment options for HIV/AIDS have vastly improved in recent years but there is still no cure. People on proper daily treatment are undetectable and can’t pass on the virus sexually. Those living with HIV today are living long and full lives. But an HIV diagnosis comes with all kinds of health complications and social stigma. Medications are expensive, affordable housing and accessible medical care can be hard to find, and a supportive community is essential.
For many living with HIV, these fundamental social supports are limited so they turn to service organizations like the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation (PWA) and Bruce House in Ottawa. My fundraising this year will be split 50/50 between PWA and Bruce House.
I am also offering a few fundraising incentives this year.
1. A Montreal summer getaway raffle which will remain open until March 31. The grand prize includes two roundtrip VIA Rail business class tickets to Montreal from anywhere on the Windsor-Montreal line, a two night stay at the Marriott Residence Inn downtown, $500 in VISA gift card spending money, and a Fierté/Pride Montreal VIP pass (if visiting August 8-10, 2025). You can buy raffle tickets at this link: https://shorturl.at/cgtL1. This link will auto-populate with my name in the ‘in support of’ section of the raffle page and funds raised will be linked back to me.
2. For all donations $50 and above, I will do a training ride in your name at the equivalent distance in kilometres. So if you donate $50, I’ll do a 50 km ride in your name, if you donate $100 I’ll do a 100 km ride in your name, and so forth. I will share these rides via social media and regular email updates.
3. I plan to offer a Zoom talk sometime after the bike rally on a subject of general interest. One idea that I have right now is a talk on rethinking Canadian identity in an age of truth and reconciliation. Other suggestions welcome!
Thank you for reading this far. I aim to keep you posted with regular training updates by email and social media including another mid-summer Quebec bike-packing trip. If you are interested in knowing where I’ll be riding on my Quebec excursion, you can learn more here: https://ptittraindunord.com/en/
Yours in community,
Sam