A warehouse in Montreal’s Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighborhood turned into a bicycle exchange operation on Sunday for the Friends of the MUHC’s third annual Cycle Swap.
“My daughter is done with her bike and it’s a good cause. Anything to help out the MUHC (McGill University Health Centre) is wonderful,” said Peter Shatilla who dropped off his daughter’s used bicycle.
On Sunday morning, hundreds of Montrealers, like Shatilla, showed up to donate bicycles they no longer use.
Teams of mechanics gave the used bikes a quick tune-up and they were ready to be handed over to new owners. While some were donated, others were for sale.
Cycling enthusiasts were lining up to pick their new bikes way before the doors opened to the public around 1 p.m.
The money raised during this year’s Cycle Swap will help to buy infusion pumps for oncology patients of the MUHC. The pumps allow patients to take their medications in the comfort of their homes instead of going to the hospital.
Each pump costs $3,500, and organizers are hoping to raise enough money to buy at least five.
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Friends of the MUHC vice-president Julie Hooton said the organization has come a long way since its first fundraiser three years ago.
“We started off in our first year, we had I think it was 45 bikes,” she said. “Already we have well over 100 bikes, and we have another 40 coming in. There’s a constant stream of people coming in.”
Friends of the MUHC is a volunteer organisation that organizes fundraising events for the McGill University Health Center.
“We like getting into projects that are in the community, that are making a difference for patients’ comfort and the experience they have at the MUHC,” Hooton said.