This page was exported from Bancroft this Week [ https://www.bancroftthisweek.com ] Export date:Fri Oct 23 17:42:46 2026 / +0000 GMT ___________________________________________________ Title: Realtor charity ride makes pit stop in Bancroft --------------------------------------------------- By Michael Riley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Central Lakes Association of Realtors and the Ontario Realtors Care Foundation have partnered up this year to do their 19th annual Motorcycle Ride for Charity, this year through Eastern Ontario from Sept. 23 to 24. The Ride has raised over $600,000 since it first started and this year's fundraising goal was $72,000. The ride started up in Aurora and ended in Belleville over the course of the two days. There were about 25 Realtor riders registered for the event, and they stopped at Millennium Park in Bancroft on Sept. 23 between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Ball Real Estate in Bancroft and Scotiabank sponsored a barbecue lunch for the riders that day. Zoe Mainville, communications coordinator with CLAR and Jessica Wong, senior manager of marketing and communications with ORCF, comment to The Bancroft Times on this ride.  Wong said that the motorcycle ride for charity this year took place Sept. 23 to 24, and that it takes a different path through a different part of the province each year.  “Last year, our ride journey took us through central and northern Ontario. This year, it will be a 530 kilometre plus journey through eastern Ontario. We'll be starting this year's ride in Aurora on Sept. 23 and making our way to Calabogie for the night. We then start bright and early the next day, on Sept. 24, with the evening concluding in Belleville. We're expecting about 25 riders with five passengers. Our riders hail from all over Ontario who make the trek to ride with us. We have riders from London, Peterborough, Belleville, Niagara, and of course, the Greater Toronto Area, that will be joining us over the course of the two days,” she says.  Wong says this was their 19th annual Motorcycle Ride for Charity, and they've raised over $600,000 since the ride's inception back in 2006.  “And this year is our biggest fundraising goal to date. Our goal is to raise $72,000. All proceeds raised from the Motorcycle Ride for Charity helps support the work of the Ontario Realtors Care Foundation, in addressing shelter related and food insecurity in Ontario,” she says.  The Ride started back in 2006 when two realtors were discussing their annual summer motorcycle ride together, according to Wong.  “The idea came up to do a motorcycle ride holiday while raising money for the foundation. And in the first year, the Ride ended up being a weeklong ride to Nashville, Tennessee. After the first two rides, the route became concentrated to the province of Ontario. Then from 2008 to 2011, the Motorcycle Ride for Charity visited all 43 local boards and Real Estate Associations; from Thunder Bay, Georgian Bay, to Ottawa and Windsor. And since 2008, the Ride has travelled throughout Ontario with a new ride route and destination each year. Come say hi, and cheer us on; our riders would love the support!” she says.  Wong says that the ORCF wanted to thank and recognize their community partners; the Central Lakes Association of Realtors, the Kingston and Area Real Estate Board, the Renfrew County Real Estate Board, the Rideau-St. Lawrence Real Estate Board, the Ottawa Real Estate Board, and the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board.  “We are also grateful to our day one lunch sponsor, Ball Real Estate [and Scotiabank] and our returning sponsor, Mindshare 101, in addition to our media sponsor, Buzz, Buzz Media,” she says.  One of the riders, Realtor Dave Rattle said that Ball Real Estate was sponsoring the lunch (along with Scotiabank), because they have an office in Bancroft, he's in on the ride and he works out of the Bancroft office. This is his fourth ride.  “So we thought it was fitting that our office did this and everybody pitched in, and it looks like everything is working well. The ride is excellent. We left Aurora this morning a little after nine. It was about nine degrees Celsius, and we were all layered up and we headed north and it got colder. But once the sun came out it just turned into a gorgeous day. The roads were all great, very scenic, and some roads we'd never been on,” he says.  Realtor Vicky Sweeney is the chair of the Ontario Realtors Care Foundation said it was going great, that it was her second year on the ride and that it was always a great time. “We did get separated right out of the gate and we had a few different groups riding but we all managed to come back together, so it happens when a big group's riding together right?  We are so proud to share with the communities that we live work and play in, and to support those who support us,” she says.  The Bancroft Times reached out to Wong for the final total raised from the ride but unfortunately did not near back by press time.  Daria Urakova was one of the participants in the ride and says she thoroughly enjoyed it and the overall experience from start to finish.  “As a new street rider, this was my very first long distance trip.Unfortunately, I broke my foot just a week after getting my motorcycle at the end of July. While trying to turn my bike around in a friend's driveway, my shoelace got caught in a peg, and I couldn't untangle it in time. I ended up taking myself and the bike down, which crushed my foot in the position it was stuck in. I didn't think much of it at first, but after hearing an ear full from my friends and family, I got an X-ray and discovered that my foot was broken in multiple places. Just a few days before the trip, my doctor said I was 90 per cent healed and gave me the green light to proceed.This trip meant a lot more to me than it would have to an average participant. It was a personal challenge, and my “mind over matter” attitude kept me going. I constantly fought against my fear, but the people I met along the way made my trip memorable and successful. The ORCF was phenomenal with their organization skills, and all the riders provided me with so much support and encouragement that kept me going both days. Everyone made me feel welcome and at ease, and it made my experience truly unforgettable. This was my first time, but definitely not my last! I've made a personal commitment to make this fundraiser and motorcycle tour my annual event, and I've told the fellow riders that I'll be the one leading the group in the future…maybe not next year just yet but definitely in the next few years.  In short, it was an incredible organization from the ORCF, an amazing atmosphere from the participants, raising money, and reaching my personal fundraising goal from my own support circle. I had an experience of a lifetime! All the sponsors at each stop enhanced the experience even more with their support and care, and I'm honestly grateful beyond words,” she says.  Richard Hawkins was another one of the riders, who has the distinction of having participated in every ride since its inception back in 2006. He says that eight of them went to Nashville that first year and raised over $40,000.  “Year two we decided to do some Ontario, then we went down to Lake Placid, and ended up in Quebec City. The next year, we thought we'd keep the travelling within Ontario as it's an Ontario association. So for the next four years, we visited all 43 [real estate] boards within Ontario and promoted about the foundation and what we're doing within the communities. And then we've just been going on since then,” he says. “Every community we go into, they're always welcoming us in, and it's just great to be within the communities promoting what we do.” --------------------------------------------------- Images: --------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Post date: 2026-10-23 13:00:00 Post date GMT: 2026-10-23 17:00:00 Post modified date: 2026-10-16 12:59:26 Post modified date GMT: 2026-10-16 16:59:26 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Export of Post and Page as text file has been powered by [ Universal Post Manager ] plugin from www.gconverters.co