Cancer Fundraiser to Pass Through Region

By Elyse Amend

Vancouver resident Richard Ralph is about to set out on the trek of a lifetime; a trek he hopes will help find a cure for cancer in his lifetime.

Ralph, 27, will be leaving St. John’s, Newfoundland this Friday, along with a crew made up of his parents and an RV, to in-line skate 10,000 kms across Canada to raise funds and awareness for cancer research. In mid-June, he is scheduled to pass through the Hudson/St. Lazare area on the stretch in between Montreal and Ottawa.

“It seemed like a different idea,” Ralph said, adding he knows of only two other people who have in-line skated across the country. “I thought it would be an interesting way to get some publicity and some awareness. You know, turn some heads.”

Ralph was inspired to do this after a close friend of his from Toronto was diagnosed with throat and lung cancer at 27-years-old. He was never a smoker, Ralph said.

He estimates his trek will take in between four to five months, and Ralph will be collecting donations along the way, as well as through his website seetheend.lmthosting.com.
Money raised will go towards the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation in Toronto, as requested by his friend, and the University of Alberta, which has made great strides with research into DCA, a molecule that researches believe may be used as an effective treatment for many types of cancer.

“They have some amazing research going on there that’s not really well funded,” Ralph said. “That’s kind of discouraging when they’re so close to something that could be so good. So, I really want to help them as well.”

His trip will lead him through Toronto, where he will be able to visit the friend that inspired his mission.
“That will probably be very emotionally fulfilling for me,” Ralph said, adding he is excited about starting his trip. “I’m so close to the date now that I just sort of have a roller coaster of emotions.”

To find out more about Richard Ralph’s mission and how to donate, visit seetheend.lmthosting.com.