Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Saddles Sores on a mission

Locals to spend 24 hours on stationary bikes

There are literally hundreds of kilometres of trails in Whistler, but two locals have opted to do their biking right in the village.

Dave Clark and Gavin Reed are preparing to ride stationary bikes for 24 hours, from 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 22 to 11 a.m. on Sunday. In the process the pair, calling themselves the Saddle Sores, hope to raise attention and money for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada.

Whistler Friends, a local fundraising group that Clark and Reed are a part of, will also host a by donation pancake breakfast on the Sunday morning, starting at 8:30 a.m. — the smell alone should motivate the Saddle Sores to complete that last few hours of riding.

The motivation for the fundraiser comes from Clark, whose wife is a founder of Whistler Friends and has been diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease.

The Whistler Friends have since made a commitment to raise money to battle Crohn’s and other categories of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD).

IBD refers to chronic intestinal disorders that can cause abdominal pain, cramping, fatigue and diarrhea, and can lead to more serious ailments and risky surgeries. Symptoms can vary widely, there is no cure, and the causes of flare-ups are still a matter of research. Still, it’s estimated that 170,000 Canadians have some form of IBD.

“Being a part of Crankworx is great, but it is the support that we have received from the Crankworx organizers and all our sponsors that has been the most amazing part so far, they have been so supportive and have really embraced the idea,” said Clark.

Whistler Friends has been active the past four years, so far raising over $80,000 for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada and the B.C. Children’s Hospital. The Saddle Sores are hoping to raise $2,400 at Crankworx, or an average of $100 per hour.

To sponsor Dave Clark and Gavin Reed, or for more information on Saddles Sores, Contact Dave and Wendy Clark at 604-905-2533.