A Waterloo Region police officer kicked off a 3,000-kilometre bike ride Sunday which will see him travel across the Appalachian Mountains all the way home.
Sgt. Peter Viol is hoping to raise $40,000 for the Regional Cardiac Care Centre at St. Mary’s General Hospital on his Appalachian Heartbeat Tour which he hopes to complete June 8.
This will be the 10th, and likely final, year Viol will take part in charity bike rides. He has raised more than $200,000 for health care in the Waterloo region.
“It has been a remarkable 10 years, filled with many memories and experiences,” Viol said in a statement. “Being able to raise money and awareness for causes that are personally important to me means more than I could ever describe. If I have helped save one person’s life or have been the reason just one person received treatment, then my work has been worth it.”
This year’s trek will see Viol ride from Sylacauga, Ala., where the Appalachian Mountains begin, then northeast to Upper New York State, over to Kingston, and then back to Waterloo Region.
In 2017, Viol’s Canadian Heartbeat tour took him from Vancouver to Waterloo Region. His efforts raised more than $32,000 for the Regional Cardiac Centre.
Thus far, he has raised nearly $13,000 of his $40,000 goal. To donate, click here.
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