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100km further in the fight against cancer

Rob Williams and the Mudryk family raised over $20,000 for cancer patients with their biggest ever 100K for the Cross event at Skeleton Lake July 14.
2018-7-14-JQ-Mudryk 100k-3-web
CTV Edmonton’s Rob Williams takes off from the start of the 100k for the Cross at Skeleton Lake July 14.

Rob Williams and the Mudryk family raised over $20,000 for cancer patients with their biggest ever 100K for the Cross event at Skeleton Lake July 14.


The 12th annual event features participants riding bikes, running and walking along a route from Skeleton Lake, west towards Athabasca along Highway 55 and then back towards Boyle via Highway 827 and Highway 663. Approximately 30 people participated in the event, which was started by CTV Edmonton’s Rob Williams and Boyle local Martin Mudryk.


Terry Mudryk-Harbarenko, event organizer and Martin’s mother, said she was happy about the event’s increased turnout.


“We’ve made it, the last couple of years, more family friendly,” Mudryk-Harbarenko said. “It’s become more of a family affair because cancer is a family affair and we all have to embrace it. It takes families and communities to support a cancer patient in order for them to make it through.”


The event raised money for Alberta Cancer Foundation’s Patient Financial Assistance Program, which helps cancer patients and families deal with the outside costs of going through cancer treatment. It also supported Knight’s Cabin Cancer Retreats, which teaches research-based health behaviours for cancer patients.


Martin Mudryk said the event started as a solo bike ride spawned from brother and TSN Anchor Brian Mudryk’s Golf Classic, an annual event which ended in 2017 after 15 years. Brian Mudryk is a two-time cancer survivor who received treatment at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton.


“I enjoy it,” Martin Mudryk said about 100K for the Cross, adding the event had four generations of the Mudryk family riding. “I know each year it’s our family reunion of friends and family so I look forward to it every year.”


 Bike riders gather before the 12th annual Williams-Mudryk 100k for the Cross at Skeleton Lake July 14.Bike riders gather before the 12th annual Williams-Mudryk 100k for the Cross at Skeleton Lake July 14.


He added the event has raised over $225,000 since its inception.


Mudryk-Harbarenko said the success of the event is in its cause to helping people battling cancer, with this year’s fundraising going very directly to helping cancer patients financially.


“The heart of it is the people that battle cancer and our hearts are with all of those people,” she said.


She added the Alberta Cancer Foundation’s Patient Financial Assistance Program helped Brian Mudryk when he battled cancer 17 years ago.


“He battled through three years and after battling for three years, financially, you do run out of your rent, your car payments,” she said. “We wanted to give back and this is our way of giving back.”


The July 14 ride had a mixture of cold, windy and rainy weather. The event’s oldest participant, 87-year old Peter Szmyrko, said it was good people participated in spite of the weather.


“It’s just awesome with the people that are coming and doing this, especially on a day where it’s almost snowing and everyone has to wear a parka,” Szmyrko said. “But they’re still here.”


Mudryk-Harbarenko said she was happy about the amount of support the event received.


“I can’t thank everybody enough for the support,” she said. “Cancer patients matter and most of them are very alone and very scared and don’t know where to go, what to do. So when you have that kind of support, it’s wonderful and I think that’s important.”

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