Cyclists crossing Canada in support of abused children stop in Edmonton

Two Quebecers pedalling across Canada to raise money for abused children made it to Edmonton Sunday — a halfway point and an important stop for the pair.

Jacques Létourneau, 56, and Peter Stolee, 55, always had biking across Canada on their bucket list.

For Stolee, originally from Edmonton, said he originally wanted to do the ride to celebrate sobriety.

"I used to smoke and drink quite a bit," he said Sunday, admitting he was up to two packs of cigarettes a day.

But recently, he discovered another cause for his travels.

"We discovered recently that my niece was sexually abused," Stolee said. "She came out on Facebook and that opened a dialogue with the family."

She was sexually abused in Alberta, which makes his stops in the province all the more important.

With that, Stolee and Létourneau are hoping to raise $6,594 — one dollar for every kilometre they will travel — by mid-August.

Two frogs against abuse

The two started their cross-country ride in Halifax and made it to Montreal. Then, the pair flew to Victoria and began riding back to Montreal.

"We're almost at the half," Létourneau said. The pair are calling their trip "2 Frogs Against Abuse."

"The frog is a symbol of moving forward. Jumping forward. And not just staying and remaining a victim," Stolee said.

"That's sort of what we're doing too — is moving forward across Canada and showing support for my niece, showing support for family and friends and all those victims."

They expect the journey to take them until late July — July 24 is their target date to finish — hoping to do an average of 115 kilometres a day.

The two have raised about 20 per cent of their goal so far. Stolee said if the generosity they've experienced on the road so far is any indication of what they'll receive for their fundraiser, they will meet their goal.

"The generosity across the country by people taking us in that don't even know us, it's just a great country to live in," he said.

To donate, you can visit their Canada Helps page here.