Rethink Goes West!

On July 15th Katie and I travelled to Vancouver for the 2011 Seek The Peak Relay, an event that Grouse Mountain has been organizing in support of Rethink for the past eight years.

This was my third time attending this event, and every year I am amazed by the incredible enthusiasm of the participants. Let me be clear, Seek the Peak is no easy feat! The 16km trek starts at Ambleside Park in West Vancouver, winds its way through North Vancouver, then heads up (straight up!) the Grouse Grind , gaining 1,245 ft of elevation, to the peak of Vancouver. Even for the many elite athletes who run in this race (you can do it solo or as a relay team of four), it is tough go (hence my amazement when there were people who appeared to have jogged from their homes to the start line, in the pouring rain!). But many participants are not elite athletes – they are people who have been touched by breast cancer in some way, supporting friends, mothers, daughters, and colleagues who have battled with the disease. As many have said before me, the physical challenge of making your way up Grouse Mountain is nothing compared to the fight against breast cancer.

I am always inspired by the energy I feel when I see Kim Tempest. Kim has been a Seek the Peak participant for the past four years, but was not able to do the run this year because her breast cancer has metastasized in her liver and bones. Instead, two teams registered to honour her, made up of friends, her daughter, her daughter’s friends, and their moms! What an amazing support network. Together, these teams collected nearly $8,000 to support Rethink! Thank you!

I am also inspired by runners like Bill McCreedy, who at 70+ years of age, participates in Seek the Peak every year. He is incredibly fit (he puts me to shame at the age of 36!) and so committed to this event. Bill also makes a huge effort to raise funds for Rethink. This year he raised $385 and most of his donations were in $5 increments meaning he approached more than 70 people for donation! It’s incredible to me the dedication and loyalty he has for this event and this cause. Thank you, Bill!

I would like to give a shout out to Christine Brittain and Angela Bate who got up incredibly early on a Saturday morning to stand out all day in the pouring rain, point volunteers in the right direction and cheer racers on. Where would we be without these devoted volunteers? You girls rock!

But none of this would be possible without the amazing team at Grouse Mountain - Elliot McKerr, Loraine Labet, and Eric Lorenz in particular - who organize this event. We are so thankful for their support and commitment to our organization. Nearly a quarter of a million dollars has been raised over the past eight years, enabling Rethink to invest in support programs and research in British Columbia, like this year’s Training Grant Recipient, Dr. Maggie Cheang and BreastCancerNowWhat.ca.

I’m already excited to start planning next year’s event, and hope that I might actually get it together enough to take on the challenge and do the Grouse Grind myself. Maybe ;)

Nikki Byrne 
Manager, Donor Developments