Cyclists ride in their friend's memory 1 year after deadly charity bikeathon
Jeff Vervaeke died after being struck by a car last year near Kingston, Ont.
Riding past the spot where his friend and fellow charity cyclist was killed a year ago was a bittersweet moment for Gord Townley.
Townley is the founder of 7 Days In May, an annual 1,200-kilometre bicycle trip around Lake Ontario that raises money for Pancreatic Cancer Canada.
Last year's ride turned tragic when a group of cyclists were struck by a car on May 27 west of Kingston, Ont. Jeff Vervaeke — a 44-year-old father, triathlete and mechanic from Waterdown, Ont. — died from his injuries five days later.
"As the cyclists rolled through ... some tears were shed, some hugs were given, some jokes were told," Townley told As It Happens host Carol Off.
"Then we'd get back on the bike and ride, and people had great memories of the man."
'Jeff wanted us to finish the ride'
The memory of that day is still vivid for Townley, who arrived on the scene shortly after the collision to find several cyclists injured, including his own daughter.
Some of the cyclists had pulled over to the side of the road to tend to a man who had fallen off his bike, when a van passed by slowly and gave them a wide berth.
But a car behind it swerved onto the shoulder and attempted to pass the van on the right, Townley said, striking the cyclists.
Townley's daughter Erin suffered several broken bones and a punctured lung.
"She had a lot of healing, et cetera, to do after the injury. Her arm was shattered. Her joints on her elbow had to be reconstructed. She had injuries on her legs and her ribs and into her hips," Townley said.
She had originally planned to join her father for the ride again this year, he said, but ultimately decided she couldn't face it.
"I think it's one of those things where her heart said she wanted to be here, [but] her head said she shouldn't," Townley said.
"She does get vivid memories and images of what happened and it does make it tough for her at times."
The car hit Vervaeke head-on, Townley said, and he was rushed to hospital in Kingston.
"It was challenging, and some of the riders went home. Some of the riders carried on. There was definitely a melancholy over the ride at the end of last year," he said.
"If there was one blessing we had it was Jeff's family kept in touch with us while they were at the hospital and hotels in Kingston and cheered us on and left us messages, because they felt that Jeff wanted us to finish the ride."
Vervaeke — who loved cycling of all kinds — died on June 1 surrounded by family at the Kingston General Hospital.
"He will be fondly remembered by family, friends and teammates for his infectious smile, helping hands and huge heart," his obituary reads.
"Jeff has taken his final ride into Heaven…#sharetheroad."
Ontario Provincial Police charged a 51-year-old Robert Saunders of Kingston last year with two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm. He pleaded guilty to both counts on Jan. 14, and will be sentenced in July.
Riding in their friend's honour
Organizing the event again this year was a difficult decision, Townley said.
But ultimately, they decided they had to move forward with it — for Vervaeke, and for the pancreatic cancer patients who benefit from their fundraising.
It helped, Townley said, that they had Vervaeke's family's blessing.
"They were anxiously awaiting our ride to happen again because it was important to Jeff," he said. "They, therefore, wanted it to keep going on."
In July, a local cycling team erected a painted white bike at a safe location about 500 metres from the scene of the collision to honour Vervaeke's memory.
The 7 Days In May cyclists stopped at the so-called "ghost bike" to take pictures and remember their friend.
When Townley spoke to As It Happens on Tuesday, the group was about halfway through their journey, and the weather had turned cold and drizzly.
"As I'm riding around and I talk to different people, they just talk about Jeff, actually, as motivation," he said.
"They talk about people with pancreatic cancer and those that have to battle through it, and it keeps them motivated even in these lousy days."
Written by Sheena Goodyear. Interview produced by Morgan Passi.