On Saturday, July 19 more than 150 cyclists will tax their muscles, and their hearts, as they participate in the fifth annual Triple Crown for Heart ride to raise money for children being treated for heart disease at B.C. Children's Hospital.
The triple crown will be achieved by pedalling up each of Seymour, Grouse and Cypress mountains - a distance of more than 91 kilometres, with 2,000 metres of climbing, according to a press release.
Organizers hope to raise $35,000 to support the work of doctors and nurses in the acute medical and cardiac unit at the hospital. Last year, 165 riders raised $23,000.
In previous years they've used the money to help families with some of the small incidental costs associated with their child's treatment, care packages for families who arrive with nothing but the clothes on their backs, and medical equipment, said event organizer Marie Campbell, who is also a cardiac nurse at B.C. Children's Hospital, in the statement. They rely on volunteers to help with the event and keep the costs to a minimum so that as much money as possible goes to help the kids, she added.
The ride starts at 8 a.m. at Ron Andrews Recreation Centre in North Vancouver. Riders will take three to six hours to complete the ride. There are food and water stops along the way and riders are accompanied by support vehicles providing mechanical assistance and medical care.
triplecrownforheart.ca
