ESTEVAN — Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 60 of Estevan did its part in supporting the Military Police National Motorcycle Relay and their cause – raising funds and awareness for the Military Police Fund for Blind Children.
Five bikers made a stop in Estevan on Monday while on their way from Victoria to St. John's. After a few years of BC-only rides, Ray Lyver, who is the national chair and a retired military police officer, organized a coast-to-coast ride this year, in which he was joined by his uncle, reservist Dan Lyver, and two civilians Joel Armstrong and Mark Kornell. For the southeastern stretch of the relay, the group was also joined by Owen White, Sgt. at Arms with Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 47 of Weyburn.
The Estevan legion members invited the cross-Canada riders to come to have a rest in their airconditioned club room, providing them with refreshments, some information about the branch and the South East Military Museum tour, as well as with $500 donation that will be used to help children with visual disabilities.
The ride started on July 1 in Victoria and will end July 26 in St. John's, after which the riders will need to get back to BC. The riders cover all their expenses themselves, and 100 per cent of the money they raise during the ride goes to the fund.
The Military Police Fund for Blind Children was set up in 1957 in honour of the blind daughter of military policeman, Moira Stone, who passed away in her teens, Armstrong shared. The fundraising relay is in its 15th year.
"We ride from coast to coast in order to raise awareness and money for the charity," Armstrong explained.
He noted that the relay would follow the same route for 10 years until the former leader stepped back. Right after that, the pandemic hit, forcing the relay to develop a new route through BC only. That approach was taken for three years, until this year, when the new leader decided to resurrect the national ride. He also developed a new route, which brought the group to Estevan.
"We're taking a totally different route than what's been done before. And we're meeting new people and making new contacts to try and build it bigger and better," Armstrong said.
He noted that the fundraising is going well. From July 1-10 they were able to raise over $26,000.
Over the past 14 years, Military Police National Motorcycle Relay has raised $850,000 for blind children, and Ray Lyver is aiming at hitting the $1-million mark soon, Armstrong said.
Participants utilize various ways to fundraise for the cause.
"Because it's military police, a large amount of it is through contact with legions, they are primary supporters for sure, partly with meals and refreshments and air conditioning, but also with donations from legions. But it's also the riders themselves. I sought sponsorship for myself, and Mark and I together fundraised $4,500 from friends and family and community. And then sometimes we just meet people along the way, and as we tell them about what we're doing they [donate] as well," Armstrong explained.
The group of four also welcomes local riders to join them for any portion of the ride.
Armstrong also shared his story of joining the initiative and meeting some of the beneficiaries, supported by the fund.
"We met a young lady, she was blind, in addition to being wheelchair bound, in addition to having tremors, in addition to being barely verbal. And the blind fund helped her by buying her a special sewing machine that she could use as a blind person. And she sews and makes adult bibs for people with disabilities like her that often spill their food because of their physical handicap. It hasn't changed her condition, but it's given her a sense of purpose that she can do something that helps other people and it makes her a little bit of money, so it made her feel valuable," Armstrong shared.
"And about two years ago, we had a young man Isaac, 12 at the time, who actually travelled with us with his parents and came on the ride. He was born with a neurological issue where his reflexes didn't form the way they should. As a newborn, he couldn't swallow ... It took years to get him to where he could eat normally … But his eyes similarly were functional, but they wouldn't track together, he couldn't focus on things, he couldn't track movement, he had no depth perception. When he first went to school, the other kids discovered that they could just walk up to him and hit him.
"So by six years old, in Grade 1, he was suicidal. His single mother was diagnosed with breast cancer … Through a chance encounter, she ran into the guy who was leading the ride at the time and got connected with the charity. They found out about some specialized treatment for his condition, and the charity bought him a $6,000 pair of glasses to start trying to help his brain figure out how to use his eyes.
"I'm told the first words out of his mouth when he tried on his new glasses were, 'Mom, is that what you look like?' So at 12 years old, he'd had enough treatment that he was able to come on a ride with us and he was able to read his handwritten story to the people at the legions explaining how the charity had helped.
"And along the ride … we'd arranged a baseball game with one fire department. They were destroying us, of course, because half of us can barely walk when we get off a motorcycle. But when Isaac got up to play, they lobed him a ball and he hit it. They fumbled it on purpose, and then they overthrew first base, so he got the only home run of the game, which was a life-changing moment for him.
"And for us, just to know that he was legally blind and suicidal at age six, and at age 12 he hit a baseball, was like 'That's why we do it,'" Armstrong shared.
For more information about the relay, to follow their route live and also to support the Military Police Fund for Blind Children visit the MP National Motorcycle Relay website or check out their Military Police National Motorcycle Relay Facebook page.
