Testimonials

"The 401 Bike Challenge means everything to me. I feel so grateful that my family's vision of giving back to the community has grown into such a beautiful event, where people from different provinces, backgrounds and walks of life can come together and unite for a common cause - to make children's cancer a thing of the past! Each and every year our 401 family grows with such incredible people and that is truly my favourite part of the 3 days! I am so thankful my mother's cancer diagnosis turned into survival, the birth of my brother and I, and the beginning of this wonderful event. Thank you everybody for the love you show us and for joining our family! It means the world to us!"  - Lauren Piccoli

What does the 401 Bike Challenge mean to me?  As a parent who spent many days and nights on Sarah's Floor,  I saw first hand what these kids went through fighting this insidious disease.  Any discomfort I might suffer over 2-1/2 days will never compare to what children with cancer have to go through every day.  This ride is not only a reminder of what my son went through, but a way to give back to the people who saved my son's life. - Roger Skira

"What does the 401 mean to me? It's so much more than just a bike ride, so much more than 3 days of epic riding with great people and beautiful views. For many of us its hits us at our very core, we come together because sadly most of us have seen the effects of this vicious disease on our doorsteps and have had to witness our children or loved ones battle the fight of their lives.  The riders are blessed with abled bodies and clear minds to raise funds and awareness for the cause doing something we love to do. We have had to witness the courage of young children who should be worried about what toy they are going to ask for, or what extra-curricular activity they want to do next. Instead they count "arm pokes" and surgery dates. The 401 Bike Challenge has given us an outlet to give back to show all the little ones if they can, we can. There is no ride that does it quite like the 401, from start to finish and even beyond when we refer to one another as our 401 "family", it's in the purist and deepest sense of the word. Many of us stay in touch and deeply care for one another both on and off the bike during and after the ride.  It's that feeling of family that I believe only the Piccolis can capture for an event like this that keeps us driven and focused on our end goal of curing cancer once and for all! I am truly proud to be a member of the 401." -George Orfanogiannis

The ride started as a way for my family to give back to a cause that had given us so much... had my mother not beaten cancer neither my sister or I would be alive. What I don't think any of us expected was how many incredible friends and beautiful people we would meet along this journey. People brought together by a common cause and a simple bicycle! I am more grateful than any of you will ever know that I have gotten a chance to be a part of this event and be able to welcome you all into our 401 family! For as long as I can I will look forward to joining all of you past, present, and future 401 family members on the road to Montreal and on the road to a cure for cancer! Thank you. Thank you to every last one of you no matter your level of involvement in the ride, you have all made us incredibly proud and grateful and none of this would be possible without you guys! Here's to even more in the future! -James Piccoli