Motorcycle enthusiasts invited to join Ride for the Breath of Life fundraiser

Strap on your helmet and hop on your hog for a good cause this weekend.

On Sept. 15, Airdrie residents can take part in the Ride for the Breath of Life starting at Mr. Mikes Steak House. The family-oriented motorcycle ride will include a pancake breakfast in Airdrie, a coffee break in Linden, a scenic stop in Horseshoe Canyon and a barbecue in Drumheller.

“The ride is beautiful and we are so excited to do this in Airdrie again,” said Debbie Carver, VP media and public relations of Cystic Fibrosis Canada.

“The City of Airdrie has been supportive and the community has been welcoming and great. We get riders from all over the area.”

The event has been held in Airdrie for the past three years and attracts about 45 riders every year depending on the weather. Last year, the ride raised about $20,000.

“This ride is for all skill levels,” said Carver.

“It brings friends together to enjoy the beautiful prairies in the fall.”

Proceeds from the event will go towards research for cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common, fatal genetic disease affecting Canadian children. It effects the patient’s whole body, but is most devastating to the lungs and digestive system. Mucus in the lungs causes severe breathing problems and ultimately leads to respiratory failure.

There is no cure or effective control for the disease.

Jeanette Demers-Weir, manager of community development with Cystic Fibrosis Canada and the mother of a 15-year-old teen with the disease, said her family “lives, eats and breaths” CF.

“Bryce never gets a break from taking handfuls of pills every day and doing physiotherapy every day,” she said.

“There is no remission for CF. These kids never get a break. The best we can offer them is hopefully we can keep them out of the hospital.”

Demers-Weir said her son has been in the hospital an average of twice a year for the past seven years.

Recently, Alberta became the first province in Canada to implement newborn cystic fibrosis screening.

“The money raised locally at this event is benefiting local people,” said Carver.

“Some research is being conducted at the University of Calgary.”

One in every 3,600 children born in Canada has cystic fibrosis. The average age of a survival for a CF patient is 37.

To register fro the ride, visit www.cfcalgary.ca