Pedal Pushers raise $58,000 for palliative care

Ben Buholtz was at one point receiving palliative care for a life-threatening stroke.

The well-liked Rotarian was close to end-of-life care, but miraculously recovered, and on Saturday morning, he led the Niagara-on-the-Lake Palliative Care members and supporters on their fundraising cycling and walking event through the Old Town to raise money for the new Compassionate Community program named in his honour. His wife, Jodey Porter, who lost her sight in 2021 — six months before his stroke — was by his side, with a group of friends surrounding them.

Ben’s Compassionate Community will offer support for patients with a life-limiting illness, such as stroke, where clients need short-term care, providing whatever they need on their road to recovery explained NOTL palliative care CEO Bonnie Bagnulo.

The local palliative care service created a small team to participate in the first Healing Cycle fundraiser about 10 years ago, she said, taking a group of five cyclists to Mississauga to participate in a ride that would see 100 per cent of funds raised by hospice care teams stay in their own community.

But during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ride was instead held in each team’s community, or could be a virtual event, cyclists having the option to ride alone and raise money for their local palliative care service.

It worked out so well, Bagnulo explained to a small crowd gathered at the former hospital parking lot, they decided to repeat that format, cycling through the streets of Niagara-on-the-Lake and drawing more participants and raising larger sums of money.

This year Ron Kassis, chair of the Healing Cycle Foundation and run, was in NOTL to ride the 25-kilometre route with local Pedal Pushers. He explained that the foundation also raises money for palliative care through the Healing Cycle ride, and a portion of those funds go to local hospice organizations who participate.

He was also there to present Bagnulo with a trophy for having the team that raised the most amount of money — $58,000 and counting for this year, with donations still coming in.

Aiding in their fundraising efforts was local Rainer Hummel, who agreed to match up to $25,000 in donations. His matching donation helped last year’s team raise $60,000.