Avery Vandenberg’s pink noise-cancelling headphones came in handy on Saturday as more than 300 motorcycles roared by her family at the start of the 18th annual Lansdowne Charity Motorcycle Ride.
Twelve-year-old Avery is one of hundreds of children who benefit from the fundraiser, which brought in more than $100,000 for recreation programs offered by Lansdowne Children’s Centre.
The money pays for programs and equipment for children and youth with communication, developmental and physical needs in Brantford, the counties of Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk, Six Nations of the Grand River, and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
It means the kids can spend part of their summer at camp, gardening, cooking, making art and swimming.
“If we didn’t have funds from this motorcycle ride, we couldn’t run these programs,” said Candace Kingyens, senior development officer with the Lansdowne Children’s Center Foundation. “It’s so important above the physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy they do. Social interaction and learning new skills is so important. We want them to reach their own unique potential.”
For the past two years, the charity ride was a strictly virtual event – when participants organized their own rides and collected pledges. Riders, who came to Saturday’s event from all over the area, couldn’t have been happier to get together again for a 150-kilometre, police-escorted, no-touchdown, scenic ride through Brantford and the County of Brant.
“Charity rides are one of the big things about being a biker,” said Rose McRae of Simcoe who was aboard her 2007 Kawasaki Vulcan 900. “And children always need it.”
Chris Gill of Delhi, who is organizer of the Hamilton-based Ride for Dad, which raises money for prostate cancer research, has taken part in the Lansdowne ride for years.
“We all support each other,” said Gill. “It’s all about giving back to the community.”
About 70 volunteers took registrations, sold merchandise and raffle tickets and lent a hand setting up and taking down at the race start and end point at Brimich Logistics on Kraemer’s Way.
Avery has received physio, occupational and speech therapy at Lansdowne over the past 10 years.
“We love the place,” said her mom Michelle. “It has been instrumental in Avery’s development.”
So great is the need, 3,000 children are currently receiving Lansdowne services and another 2,200 are on a wait list.
Rita-Marie Hadley, executive director of the centre, said Lansdowne has been looking for years for a new building, raising awareness with government officials and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services that the agency has outgrown capacity at its 39 Mount Pleasant St . site.
Last year, Brantford city council’s development committee supported a memorandum of understanding between the city and Lansdowne to work toward the purchase of land in the Mohawk Lake District, a revitalization of a section of Eagle Place.
The committee also approved the start of survey work of about 9.7 acres in the district that are designated for institutional development. Lansdowne would take about 6.2 acres.
“Successful growth in numbers of clients and staff to serve them has pushed capacity well beyond its original estimated limits,” said Hadley. “Limitations are felt daily with increasing wait times for assessment and service.”
