October 1, 2024 – One of Canada’s longest running and top fundraising events will be taking place in Montréal, QC and Toronto, ON on October 10 and 17 respectively. The JDRF Ride to Defeat Diabetes is a high-energy event that sees hundreds of corporate executives and teams shed their business wear for workout clothes to pedal for a cure for type 1 diabetes (T1D).
Participants will take part by spinning on hundreds of stationary bikes set up in core downtown Montréal and Toronto locations. Additional events are being held in offices, gyms, and spin studios across the country. All in support of JDRF and towards the ultimate finish line: a world without T1D.
T1D is an autoimmune disease that impacts almost 300,000 Canadians. People with T1D must administer insulin daily in order to stay alive. And even with careful management, there is the risk of long-term complications like kidney failure, blindness, amputation or even death.
Since the Ride launched in 1986, corporate Canada has raised over $72 million to accelerate the pace of critical T1D research and support Canadians living with the disease in their daily lives. Due to advances in research over the past five decades, approximately 25 years have been added to the lifespan of a person living with T1D and receiving the latest care.
“The Ride is an exciting team building event that lets people take a break from their offices, Zoom and Teams meetings, to pedal for a cure alongside their colleagues in support of Canadians living with type 1 diabetes. We are thrilled to have Rides in Montréal and Toronto, and volunteer-led events across Canada, says Jessica Diniz, President and CEO of JDRF Canada. “This is especially meaningful as we recognize 50 years of JDRF in Canada, and which began as a grassroots volunteer-run and led organization, formed by parents desperate for a cure for their children with T1D. We are grateful to everyone who will be following in these footsteps by pedaling for a cure to move us closer to a world without T1D.”
About JDRF
JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Our mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, governments, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers throughout Canada and five international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.ca.
For more information:
Ruth Kapelus
National Content & Media Relations Manager, JDRF Canada
T. 647.789.2322
E. rkapelus@jdrf.ca
