Cyclists blazed cross-Canada trail for missing children

BY ANDY BLATCHFORD

andy.blatchford@transcontinental.ca

No broken spokes, nary a flat tire, just two West Islanders and 6,849 kilometres of open road.

Last May 1, retired John Rennie High School teachers Brian Potter and Tom Ropeleski mounted bicycles in Victoria and pedalled east to St. John’s, Nfld.

The duo completed a remarkable journey that stirred awareness and amassed $50,000 in donations for missing children organizations.

Visiting 25 schools across Canada, Potter and Ropeleski spoke to 3,000 students from grades 4 to 12 about Internet safety and how to give back to the community.

The endeavour, In Motion for the Missing, supported Child Find and the Missing Children’s Network Canada.

“Never in our history have two volunteers gone through such extraordinary effort to show how much they passionately care about the welfare of children in our country,� said Pina Arcamone director of the Missing Children’s Network. “This is one activity that we will remember for many years to come.�

In Motion for the Missing raised $30,000 for the Missing Children’s Network. Funds will help pay for its prevention and education programs. Arcamone said Potter and Ropeleski’s dedication moved those who are still searching.

“Parents of missing children who were made aware of Tom and Brian’s efforts were so touched by their commitment,� she said. “It leaves me emotional just thinking about it.�

The network plans to build on the teachers’ momentum by inspiring schools to remain “in motion� for the missing by walking, running, biking and swimming, she said.

“We would like to keep their legacy alive . . . and teach kids from when they’re young that they can make a difference in their community,� Arcamone said.

Potter said the response they garnered as they crossed the country was “great.�

“Most of these organizations did not have contact in schools, so we wanted to provide that,� said Potter, who resumed teaching at John Rennie last fall.

Potter, who was 58 years old when the trip began, and Ropeleski, 60, trained with the Pointe Claire YMCA trainer Lisa Limosani for seven months to prepare for the journey. Former guidance counsellor Wayne Clifford flanked the duo during the trek in a van donated by Hyundai.

With help from downhill stretches, the teachers reached speeds of up to 38 kilometres an hour, “which is pretty remarkable for a couple of old farts,� Ropeleski said. Cycling between 125 and 140 kilometres for 61 days, the pair also reaped physical benefits, he said.

“Towards the end of the trip we both had an extra gear that we could pull out at any time,� the Pointe Claire resident said. “We felt like animals at the end.�

Potter said there were no injuries or accidents but plenty of close calls on the narrow, one-lane highways of Manitoba.

“Most truckers are great but at least once a day we’d get buzzed off the road — you just kind of hit the soft shoulder and hope that you’ll be OK,� he said.

Ropeleski said holiday generosity reinvigorated the campaign recently as donations continue to come in.

To learn more about their mission, check www.inmotionforthemissing.ca.">www.inmotionforthemissing.ca.">www.inmotionforthemissing.ca.