Cyclist rides from Brockville to Napanee to raise funds for OSPCA

The Ontario SPCA is about halfway through its 10-week fundraising event, Sweat for Pets.

Participants register, gather pledges and then complete a weekly challenge.

The OSPCA Leeds & Grenville Animal Centre manager Marianne Carlyle says they’re intended to be fun, family-oriented challenges.

“Last week we had some bunny hops happening, so see if you can do as many bunny hops as your pet, see if you can out sprint your dog,” Carlyle said.

Now, Carlyle is taking the challenge a step farther.

At 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, she left Brockville on her bicycle to travel to the Lennox & Addington Animal Centre in Napanee.

“It’s about 130 kilometres, give or take.” Carlyle told Global Kingston.

Cycling long distances isn’t unknown to Carlyle, who used to be a competitive triathlete. And this isn’t Carlyle’s first pedal for the fundraiser.

“The first one was to the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry animal centre down in Cornwall, so … the Leeds and Grenville Animal Centre to there was 109 kilometres.”

Carlyle says the Leeds & Grenville Animal Centre has raised about $2,000 of its $8,000 goal for the Sweat for Pets campaign.

Carlyle hasn’t set a monetary goal for her long-distance cycling campaign, but she’s hoping to raise the profile of the OSPCA’s corporate initiative called 100 for $100.

“We’re looking for 100 companies or individuals to make a donation of $100,” she said.

Carlyle isn’t done with the completion of her trip to Napanee, though.

She’s planning a 200-kilometre ride from the Leeds & Grenville Animal Centre in Brockville to the animal centre in Pembroke on Aug. 25.