Once again, the community comes together to make the city’s premier cycling event a success

In the early morning of  June 1st, on a gorgeous spring day, hundreds of cyclists disembarked from Eagles Nest Golf Club in Vaughan for the much-anticipated Giro 2014. The annual fundraiser was once again a great success, bringing together cyclists from all across the city to support the efforts of Villa Charities.

Cyclists of all skill level pedalled through the country roads north of Vaughan on either the 60-km Media Fondo or the 100-km Gran Fondo routes. Along the way, participants made several stops, including at Villa Colombo and the Guglietti family’s Pinecrest Farms, for rest, water and delicious Italian fare, such as meatballs, pizza, gelato and more. Some cyclists took their time, enjoying the perfect weather on a leisurely ride through the scenic countryside, while others challenged themselves, pushing to set personal bests and complete the well-planned routes.

While there was friendly competitive banter between some, everybody came together to achieve one goal: support Villa Charities. The organization has provided services and housing for the community’s elderly for over 40 years, and its events like the Giro allow this crucial work to continue. As Gino Reda, host of TSN’s That’s Hockey and emcee for this year’s Giro, explained at the lunch after the ride, the people cared for by Villa Charities are not just parents and grandparents. They’re the groundbreakers, the innovators and the risk-takers who scarified and travelled to a foreign land all in the hopes of providing a better life for their families and future generations. It’s attitudes like this that show how committed the community is to its members, and one that will allow the Giro to continue to be successful for years to come.

www.villacharities.com