Cyclists take over Toronto highways, raise $6M in annual Ride for Heart
Posted June 1, 2014 11:23 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
An estimated 14,000 cyclists took to the streets Sunday for the 27th annual Ride for Heart.
The fundraiser shuts down the Don Valley Parkway in both directions from Highway 401 to the Gardiner Expressway, and the Gardiner from the DVP to the Humber River.
Roads had fully reopened by 3 p.m.
This year’s bike ride raised $6 million for heart and stroke research.
Three-time Olympic medalist and former world-record holder in cycling Curt Harnett has participated in the ride for 17 years.
“I continue to ride because we are raising money that saves lives, and I truly feel there is no better way to appreciate the beauty of our great city than a bike ride up the Don Valley,” Harnett said in a press release.
Mayoral candidate Olivia Chow was also among the thousands of cyclists who took the rare opportunity to ride on the usually busy stretches of freeway.
