Thursday 30 May 2013

Strathmore Times.

Great write up today in the Strathmore Times:

18-year-old stops in Strathmore during Cross Canada Cure walk

Aryssah Stankevitsch   
Times Reporter  
 
Salmon Arm, B.C.’s Breyden Erickson is spending his summer a little differently than his pals. The 18-year-old is attempting to walk across Canada for cancer research—he left March 23 from Horseshoe Bay, B.C. for Sydney, Nova Scotia, where he expects to arrive sometime in October. He made a stop in Strathmore on May 22.
“My friends have mixed feelings about it,” Erickson said. “Some of them are confused as to why I’m still doing this, and others are saying ‘Aw hey, that’s awesome, what can I do to help?’”
One of his friends is the reason for the adventure. Diagnosed with leukemia, Erickson credits her for part of the initial spark of the Cross Canada Cure journey. 
“I just figured I could do something, and I might as well make it worth my while,” he said.
But why walk, when you could run, bike, rollerblade, or cartwheel? 
“Ironically, part of the reason I think was, a year ago, I got caught speeding and lost my license,” Erickson said. “For quite a few months I was without a vehicle, and since my dad was working, he couldn’t always give me a ride. I had to walk to work; 4.5 km on the highway there, 4.5 km back…so I thought, walking’s not that bad.”
Though his largest expedition so far was 58km in Savona, B.C. (with rain and big hills, of course), he averages roughly 30 km per day, and can do about 5 km per hour. He says he did minimal training in preparation for the voyage. 
“One of the things I wanted to prove is that you didn’t really have to go to the gym every day and work out as much as you can,” Erickson said. “Someone who sits at home, plays videogames, and hangs with friends can do this too.”
For the first two weeks of the walk, he carried a 60 lb. backpack with all his tenting gear, and camped out at night by himself. Afterwards, his grandparents were able to meet up with him, and drive along in their RV. They split their time between leapfrogging ahead, and following behind on the shoulder while their grandson walks against traffic on the left side of the road. Al and Norma plan on sticking with him at least until Thunder Bay, but may journey with him all the way to Nova Scotia, possibly selling the RV once Breyden finishes. Erickson even sold his own car to put forth some cost to expenses.


It’s been an entire family and friends effort, whether it be providing a place to stay, giving some food, or taking care of logistics week to week on the fly: “My mom’s been calling ahead, my uncle and aunt handling PR, my other uncle with the blog (crosscanadacure2013.blogspot.ca). My dad’s been helping out with the phone bill, whenever he can, which is a big help,” Erickson said.
He hikes with a small backpack of water bottles, and usually listens to music, audiobooks, or podcasts to keep himself occupied. The teen says the most difficult parts so far have been the flatlands: “It’s boring. I miss steep hills through the mountains because at least that was something to look at.” 
Though grandma’s cooking is a close second, he says Rogers Pass was his most favourite part of the trip. “That was incredible, to see how freakishly tall those mountains were,” Erickson said.
Looking forward to the provinces he’s never seen, such as Manitoba and Quebec, Erickson admits there have been some ups and downs, including temporarily losing his wallet, breaking in new running shoes, and showering in the RV with his tall, lanky frame. 
Erickson is also using this event towards a Grade 12 P.E. credit through an education outreach program to finish his high school diploma. He eventually wishes to study at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton.
There are two ways to contribute to Breyden’s Cross Canada Cure Walk; the expenses portion covers his gas, campgrounds, food, etc. while you can also donate at www.tinyurl.com/crosscanadacure for fundraising. Breyden’s goal is to raise $323,323 (since he left March 23, or 03/23). He currently sits just under $3,000. Notably, the Mayor of Salmon Arm, Nancy Cooper, donated $500 to Breyden’s cause, as did Salmon Arm’s Bell with $300.
“We’ve been very grateful to everyone so far who has lended us a place to stay,” said Erickson. “We’ve gotten a few free campsites or deals on things in exchange for advertising.”
By the walk’s end, he will have travelled 6,000 km by foot. If kept on schedule, he will leave the Alberta border by June 1.
“Any amount counts, that’s no exaggeration,” Erickson said. “Like Terry Fox, with a dollar per Canadian. That’s easily enough to get our goal met. The sooner that happens, the better.”




To financially support the CrossCanadaCure: CIBC transit # 00250 account # 83-68694

Courtesy of:

http://www.strathmoretimes.com/Sports/18-year-old-stops-in-strathmore-during-cross-canada-cure-walk.html

Cross Canada Cure... by the numbers

Breyden Erickson set out 9 weeks ago from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver BC on a mission to walk across Canada to raise money for cancer research. His geographical progress has been incredible, (he should be in Saskatchewan by tomorrow!!!) but we need help with his fundraising goal.  This 18 year old young man is doing an incredible and selfless thing to try to help others.  Please take a few minutes and make a donation to his Canadian Cancer Society fundraising page.

He is currently just west of Medicine Hat and will be at these southern Saskatchewan communities on the following dates.. well estimated, depending on weather and other conditions.  He is WALKING after all. Watch for him and the support vehicle and stop by and say hello.

Medicine Hat    May 30
AB/SK border  June 1
Maple Creek    June 2
Gull Lake         June 6
Swift Current    June 7
Herbert            June 9
Emfold             June 10
Chaplin            June 11
Mortlach          June 12
Caronport        June 12
Moose Jaw      June 13
Regina             June 15

Cross Canada Cure by the numbers:

1          Percent of funds have been raised to date towards Breyden’s goal of $323,323.00. C’mon Canada, we can do this!
2          Nights the team has stayed at Tillebrook Provincial Campground in Brooks, AB. Thanks to Alberta
            Parks for the great RV site!
5          Mayors met to date.
7          Toenails left….
14        Percent of all new cases of cancer are lung cancer. www.cancer.ca
15        Kilometers walked along the Fraser Canyon by Alex, Breyden’s 10 year old cousin, on April 7th.
18        Years old.
26        Days since Breyden’s “Team” started travelling with him in the Cross Canada Cure RV.
46        Million dollars. In 2011–2012, the Canadian Cancer Society funded more than $46 million in             leading-edge research supporting close to 300 projects across the country. www.cancer.ca
52        Kilometers walked on Monday, May 27
58        Kilometers walked on Wednesday, April 10 – a personal record
62        Percent of Canadians diagnosed with cancer are expected to survive for 5 years or more after a cancer diagnosis. www.cancer.ca
67        Days since Breyden dipped his sneakers into the Pacific Ocean at Horseshoe Bay, BC
195      More days of walking
200      Canadians will die from cancer every day, on average. www.cancer.ca
213      Total Blog views so far today!
220      Dollars received for scrapping Breyden’s car, to helping fund his walk.
1,338   Kilometers walked so far
2103    Total overall Blog views
186,400  Estimated new cases of cancer in Canada in 2012. www.cancer.ca

Breyden and the TeamBreyden road crew.


Wednesday 29 May 2013

Brooks Alberta

I texted briefly with Breyden last night.  He and the support team headed out of Brooks Alberta yesterday and are continuing on his walk. The weather has improved and he is working extra hard to make up some of the lost time due to the strong Headwinds they experienced last week.  HE WALKED 52 KILOMETERS Sunday alone!  He is more determined than ever to reach his donations target. and all of us on the support team are resolved to help him  accomplish  that goal.

He has come a long way since leaving Horseshoe  Bay, BC just over 2 months ago, but still has a long way to go to achieve his fundraising goal.   






Tuesday 28 May 2013

cancer sucks


I find, for myself, that I can get caught up in Bryeden's walk and how he is doing and where he is etc. Then suddenly something happens to remind me again of his cause and the importance of what he is doing and the need to find a cure for cancer once and for all.

A few months ago a dear friend of mine lost his husband to this terrible disease.  It was a heartbreaking time and they both  keep very close to all of their friends and family while he was in treatment. While his husband was more of a quiet and private person, my friend kept his friends and family close and informed as to what was going on with them and the cancer treatment process on almost a daily basis.  The response, support and love that people gave back to them both was overwhelming and, as he expressed many times, a great source of comfort to them both.  He posted regularly on facebook, sent e-mails and tried to visit with as many friends as they could.  He took the time to read each reply and comment to his husband.  I personally am glad that they chose to be so open about their struggles as it gave me a chance to be closer to them during this very difficult time for them.  It also made me feel that maybe in some small way I was actually being of help by offering my support, sympathy and love as regularly as I could.

My friend committed every minute of his day to attending to and caring for his partner.  He took on dealing with a variety of doctors, specialists, hospitals, medications and treatments. They often had to travel to a larger city to get the necessary test and treatments.  When his condition got worse he took leave from work and stayed home and tended to his needs.

When they met and started going out years ago I was so happy for my friend to have found someone. As the years went on it was so evident that their love and commitment to each other was that very rare and amazing kind that we all dream of having someday.  When I head the news I was absolutely heartbroken for them both.  I thought that he is so undeserving of this and has to be one of the ones that pulls through and becomes a survivor.  I got angry at the great unfairness of life.  I can only imagine how they felt.

And now I have just heard that another friend of mine lost his mother to cancer just 2 days ago.  I never had the pleasure of meeting her but my friend also shared a bit about what was happening to friends and family.  She was a wonderful and active woman who was still out giving back to her community.  Someone who was loved, needed and deserving of many more years.

There are so many other people who are also deserving of many more years but sadly the statistics are not very promising.  According to the Canadian Cancer Society 2 out of 5 Canadians are expected to develop cancer in their lifetime.  The survival rate for all types of cancer combined is currently 62%.  After doing a bit of research on this I realized how urgent it is to find a cure for this disease.  It makes me all the more proud of what Breyden is doing and determined to help however I can.  It is time to find a cure for this horrible disease once and for all.  We cannot do it with will and resolve alone. It takes research and funding.



cancer sucks.  Please make a donation and help find a cure.



Friday 24 May 2013

Headwinds

This week there were some strong headwinds and rain near the Bow Valley.  Here is an update directly from the support team.

“We have run into some adverse weather, three days of strong headwinds and today it’s been raining as well. Breyden persevered for 12 kilometers but then had to take a break, soaking wet and exhausted. Right now we are sitting in the Central Bow Valley School yard, plugged into one of their car plug outlets in the hamlet of Gleichen, Courtesy of the Principal Mrs. E. McLane and the Maintenance Supervisor Don Hartman. I might add we are very grateful and appreciate the support.

Another interesting thing today. When Breyden left this morning the headwind was very strong and it was raining quite hard, he was concerned that many would stop to offer him a ride. So he chose to go down a right angled side road, we drove beside him with the mother ship acting as a wind barrier. Three of the locals on the side road (Range Rd 232, Anonymous, Judy and Brenda offered $20.00 each towards the cause, thank you folks for your kind donations. There is always a bright side to everything if we look for it”

Wow!  That gives me such a strong visual of Breyden, head down and determined, striving ever forward against the elements to achieve his goal despite the odds. It’s quite a real-life interpretation of our fight to cure cancer.  We need your help to do that.  Please spread the word and help him reach his target.  Share this blog, friend him on facebook (Breyden Walken Erickson), and pass on his donations link.

tinyurl.com/crosscanadacure

Which leads directly to his Canadian Cancer Society fundraising page (which I posted below, but as you can see it is very long)

Wednesday 22 May 2013

The generosity of Albertans


The generosity and support of the people of Alberta has not gone unnoticed by 18 year old Breyden Erickson of Salmon Arm, BC. Almost 9 weeks into his Cross Canada Cure walk for cancer awareness, Breyden has found inspiration in strangers who in turn have been inspired by his trek.
Donations ranging from money for fuel and expenses to meals and offers of accommodation have powered the Cross Canada Cure as it travels eastward across the country. 

Big thanks to the gang at the Strathmore Agricultural Campground who have donated a spot for the Cross Canada Cure RV to camp for the night. More thanks to Cameron at Sportcheck, Deerfoot Meadows in Calgary for the deal on new footwear - Breyden has broken them in quickly by walking almost 50 km in the last 2 days.



At a recent stop in Chestermere, Alberta he was greeted by Mayor Patricia Matthews, her family and members of council. The support of those along the way has helped Breyden remain focused on his goal of raising money and awareness to find a cure for cancer. Breyden Erickson and the Cross Canada Cure team are now in Southeastern Alberta:



Wed. 22nd   Strathmore
Sat. 25th   Brooks
Wed. 29th   Medicine Hat
Fri. 31st   Sask/AB border

Donate to the Canadian Cancer Society: 

To financially support the CrossCanadaCure: 
CIBC transit # 00250 account # 83-68694

Tuesday 14 May 2013

How it started

This whole thing started like anything else. Just an idea. A little thought that got more and more added to it as time went by. I wanted to do something noticeable, something that people could look at and understand my motivation.

I don't have cancer myself, but someone I care about does. And what really triggered this idea, was the thought of her not being around anymore because of this disease.

It doesn't take a lot to make a difference, any help is appreciated. Every donation counts. Please tell as many people as you can about this trip. The more the word is spread, the less the cancer will.

-Breyden Erickson



Thank you

Monday 13 May 2013

Meanwhile, at Tim Hortons


"It is amazing the people we meet along the way" dad shared with me today. 

They all went to Tim Horton's this morning to get a coffee (really to use the WiFi to catch up on e-mails; no Internet at the campground).  While Breyden was getting fueled up in preparation for today's walk and dad was catching up on emails, mom struck up a conversation with with the people at the next table. They were a friendly couple here on a two week holiday from Whitby, England. (beautiful seaside village by the way, I Googled it, check out the pictures below.) They just felt that anybody as committed as Breyden deserved some support and donated $10.00 to Breyden for expenses. 


Thank you Peter and Marian, we hope you enjoy the rest of your visit to Canada.

Later in the afternoon they went to the Spring Creek Campground in Canmore to get a spot for the night. Owner Frank Kernick was quick to provide a free campsite and hookups once he heard what Breyden was doing.  Much appreciated Frank.  Here's a shout-out to the best RV park in Canmore! 

Spring Creek Mountain Village
(403) 678-5111

Then, dad had no sooner sent me all this information when mom returned from doing the laundry and she had been given a loonie from a lady from Atlanta Georgia.

It's great that so many of the people they meet are so generous and quick to lend a hand or support Breyden.  Visitors and tourists at that!

C'mon Canada.  Help us raise the funds to find a cure.



Whitby, England.



To financially support the CrossCanadaCure:
CIBC transit # 00250 account # 83-68694


Saturday 11 May 2013

Welcome to Alberta

Breyden crossed the BC/Alberta border yesterday!


He has now crossed through one entire province on his trek across the country.  According to my calculations  he will surpass 900 kilometers today as well.  They spent the night in Lake Louise and are heading out soon to continue on to Banff.

Here is the plan for the next few days:

May 12 - Banff
May 13 - Canmore
May 16 - Calgary

We are busy working on some fundraising events for Calgary and other cities in Alberta.  He is out there every day walking, trying hard to raise the $323,323.00 he has set as his goal so any help in spreading the word is appreciated.  Feel free to share this blog.  He is Breyden Walken Erickson on Facebook if you want to friend him.

Oh yea.  Leave a comment and I will pass it along to Breyden if you want.  How did you hear about his walk? Where are you from?

Thanks everyone.



To financially support the CrossCanadaCure:
CIBC transit # 00250 account # 83-68694

Thursday 9 May 2013

Last night in BC

Almost in the dead center of Yoho National Park is the small village of Field BC; Breyden's camp for the night and his last stay in BC. Tomorrow he is expect to cross the border into Alberta.  I can't believe he has almost completed crossing the entire province... on foot!!  He is so committed to this and doing his best every day to try to make people aware and to reach his target goal. But for that he needs your help.  Please donate and help find a cure.



Tuesday 7 May 2013

Golden BC

Well so much has happened in the past 2 days.  Reports coming in from Breyden and the support crew are that it's been pretty hectic in Golden for the past few days.  When I texted him yesterday he indicated there were a lot of meetings planned for today and he wasn't kidding.  There is lots going on!!

Breyden with his grandparents at Golden
So after a 15 kilometer walk to Golden yesterday, Breyden stopped in at the Information Center where he was greeted and interviewed by the manager of the center, Lynne Romano.  She was excited to meet Breyden and wants to be able to relay his fundraising story to visitors.  She will also be posting the full interview on their facebook page.  I'll put up a link to that later so you can be sure to 'like' Golden. 

Then the team headed off to get the RV registered and set up at the Whispering Spruce Campground.  After  hearing what Breyden's walk was all about the manager, Pat, offered to donate to the trip expenses by providing a free night's lodging at the RV park.  I took a browse though their photo gallery on the web page.  It is a beautiful park, and they have most amazing lawnmower I've ever seen. Check it out on their web site. Whispering Spruce Campground.
Breyden with Pat, the manager of Whispering Spruce
Today was even more eventful it seems.  Breyden met with the Mayor of Golden, Christina Benty and had a chance to talk with her for a while about his walk and his plan to raise funds for cancer research. Despite having just returned from a course and having a lot of work to catch up she still took the time to meet with Breyden and  welcome the whole team to Golden.
Meeting with Golden's Mayor Christina Benty

After that, another interview and some photographs with Darryl Crane, the Editor of The Golden Star. I'm looking forward to reading his interview in the next edition.

The management of the local A&W in Golden heard about what he was doing and provided lunch for Breyden and the support team.  I must say that I am really amazed at the generosity and interest expressed by so many local merchants in all the towns Breyden is visiting. So many people are helping out by contributing accommodation, meals or even making cash donations along the way.  There are some expenses incurred along the way to keep Breyden walking and every bit helps and is truly appreciated by all.



But the message that Breyden most wants to get out there is that he is doing this to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society to help find a cure for cancer. He has a good friend who is  affected by this disease, as do I  and as does almost everyone. Cancer is still far too present in our lives. If you can, please donate.

Every amount donated here goes directly to the Canadian Cancer Society.





Monday 6 May 2013

Almost Golden

Breyden is about 10 kilometers away from Golden. It has been 3 days since Revelstoke with Saturday being a 33.5 km day.  His grandparents are with him and providing the comfort of the motor home and company at night.  The weather has been very hot during the day and included some rain showers. Tomorrow he will arrive in Golden.




Podio Sponsorship

There is a small but dedicated team of people, mostly his family, working behind the scenes to help make Breyden's walk a success.   At first e-mailing, texting and phoning each other worked to keep everyone updated on the progress of each task, event, interview or conversation  ... for about a week.  But very quickly it became evident that phone calls and e-mails were not a very efficient way of communicating and coordinating everyone's progress on the multitude of tasks involved. In-boxes quickly overflowed.

Breyden\s Aunt Diane uses Podio at her workplace and approached them to see if they would be willing to provide us with access to use their software with a charitable event membership. They were quick to agree and so for the past few weeks we have been using Podio's online Project Management and CRM software to keep organized of all the activities around Breyden's walk. 

Now Podio has upgraded the account to full premium access to all of it's features and officially become Breyden's first sponsor.  

With the power of Podio, our free CRM platform, our team can effectively work together from anywhere, to escape email overload, alleviate document chaos and much more. Get structured with Podio's easily modified workspaces and apps, so you and your team can work the way you want to.

Friday 3 May 2013

Back on the Road

Breyden and his entourage are heading of of Revelstoke today.  After a rest and the return of his wallet Breyden is all set to resume his walk.  His Grandparents, Norma and Al, have generously decided to get their motor home (which the family affectionately calls 'The Mother Ship') road ready for a long trip this time and will be following Breyden along as a support vehicle.  While he still will be walking about 30 kilometers a day, Breyden will at least have a comfortable bed and good food each night. Thanks so much mom and dad for your generosity.  This will make it much easier for him as well as he will not have to be carrying his extremely heavy backpack every step of the way.

They also had some banners made up to attach to the outside of the motor home to announce Breyden's Cross Canada Cure 2013 to passersby .  Funding for this was donated by local a local merchant and his Grandparents and other assistance by some of the local church members.  More details on that soon.
If you are interested in helping out with the expenses to support Breyden, you can do so through any CIBC or online banking to his CIBC account

CIBC transit #00250  Account #83-68694

Here's a picture of Breyden with one of the Banners for the motor home.  I'll have some more pics soon.



Wednesday 1 May 2013

....... and found

Great news.  The wallet turned up with all his bank cards and ID etc all intact.  Breyden is quite relieved as are all his friends and family.  So, today marks the start of the next leg of his of his walk.  It's May 1. A new month, better weather lies ahead and with a bit of a rest and a whole lot of experience gained he is ready to start out again. Breyden and the whole team supporting him are relieved, recharged and ready to hit the road.  Well, almost. One more day to get things reorganized and then the support vehicle will be all set and decked out with its...  oops, almost said to much.  You'll have to come back to see the exciting new addition.

Just a quick shout out to Mr. and Mrs. Moore of Salmon Arm, franchise owners of the Tim Hortons in Salmon Arm and surrounding areas. They were kind enough to provide Breyden's lunch and some advice and support for the trip. There have been a lot of such people along the way who have stopped to help out in similar ways or make cash donations to Breyden directly.  I will try to acknowledge these people more in upcoming posts.

Check back tomorrow.  It's a big day with a big reveal.....