Saskatoon man to bike 2,000 km to help get wheelchairs to Ukraine
A local organization is counting on one man's pedal power to help them raise money so they can send wheelchairs to those in need overseas.
In just over a week Ivan Nahachewsky sets off to bike 2,000 kilometres around northern Saskatchewan to help raise money for wheelchairs that will be sent to Ukraine.
He approached the local Knights of Columbus chapter with the idea to help raise money for the program that the group has been supporting for 14 years. It is done in conjunction with The Canadian Wheelchair Foundation.
The local group has helped send wheelchairs to children and adults in 13 countries.
This is the longest ride for Nahachewsky who has tackled bike journeys of about half the distance in the past. Training for the 21-day trek involved yoga, endurance training, and mental preparation. Nahachewsky's route starts in Cluff lake in northwest Saskatchewan and is almost entirely on gravel roads which he chose for the challenge of it.
He'll head to Beauval, then Key Lake, down to La Ronge and up to Stony Rapids for the finish.
“Knowing that when I’m done my painful experience, I get to get off my bike and walk away and if they’re in a wheelchair, they don’t get to get up and walk away so that’s a good motivation for me,” Nahachewsky told CTV News.
He’s served as a military chaplain and it was during a recent deployment to Ukraine that he realized the need for wheelchairs for those who have no access or means to get one and are left immobile.
he Knights of Columbus Saskatchewan wheelchair chairperson, Shawn Scherr set the goal of $250,000 for this fundraising campaign which he says, will buy about 1000 chairs at roughly $200 each to be delivered as early as the fall.
“I thought if we go big, we have a chance of getting more than one load so let’s try to get 10 loads to divide in Ukraine so let’s try to go big,” Scherr said.
Scherr was particularly drawn to this project because his daughter who is now 22 has used a wheelchair her whole life.
“The gift of mobility is something that people don’t know what that is. Not to be able to get around or go to work. It’s huge for people that can all of a sudden go to work and get out of the house and get groceries. There’s an independence that comes with mobility,” he said.
Nahachewsky says he’s doing the bike ride during his summer holiday which his wife questioned initially, but came to appreciate.
His daughter is driving him to the starting point in Cuff Lake and will be his pilot vehicle.
Donations can be made online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Here's how much more Canadian landlords are asking for now, according to a just-released report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
What is basic income, and how would it impact me?
Parliamentarians are considering a pair of bills aiming to lift people out of poverty through a basic income program, but some fear these types of systems could result in more taxes for Canadians who are already financially struggling.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Out-of-control wildfire burning near Fort McMurray
As of 9 a.m. on Friday, the wildfire burning 28 kilometres southwest of the northeastern Alberta city was 25 hectares in size.
Mexico's president accuses press and volunteer searchers for missing people of 'necrophilia'
The administration of Mexico's president has accused the press and volunteer searchers who look for the bodies of missing people of 'necrophilia,' comments that drew criticism this week.