The website refreshes every 15 minutes, so check back shortly to see your thermometer rise.
Definitely! Once you've recorded your cash donations online, you can pay them through our website with your personal credit card to avoid lugging an envelope filled with cash around.
If you'd like to pay with a personal cheque, be sure to enter your cash pledges online and then total your cash donations. Write out your cheque to "Ride for Refuge". Bring this with you on RIDE Day with your completed Donation Form or "My Results Form", and you're all set.
Absolutely - just remember:
There is an optional registration/participation fee for those ages 11 or older who choose not to fundraise.
For those who choose to pay the non-refundable registration fee, the early bird fee is $25 - on Monday, September 30th the fee reverts to the full $40.
As Team Captain, you play the key role of leader, recruiter, fundraiser, planner, and cheerleader.
Team Captain Basics
Check out our Tools for Team Captains for more helpful tips and tricks.
Visit your location page, and scroll down a little - usually, route maps will be available beginning in July.
On your location page, you'll find a bunch of other helpful information. These pages are updated regularly, so check back soon if your city has not yet posted routes.
You sure can! Any donations $20 or more will generate a tax receipt, including donations you make to your own fundraising page.
Yes - we must have all donations submitted to us online or by mail by October 31, 2019. Be sure cheques are made out to Ride for Refuge and include the participant's name in the memo line.
Ride for Refuge
Unit 260-659 King Street East
Kitchener, ON
N2G 2M4
Note: this can only be performed by the participant who started the team (the Team Captain).
We will carefully monitor weather conditions, and of course we will do what is necessary to safeguard our cyclists and walkers, but the bottom line is that we're on - regardless of the weather.
Keep an eye on your location page for updated weather details in case of freezing rain, or lightning storms.
The RIDE is an experiential event that designed to give participants a very small taste of what it's like to be seeking refuge. It's designed to be challenging - both in distance traveled and weather endured.
Yes, you can. Cheques made out to "Ride for Refuge" should include participant/team name on the memo line. Be sure to add them online in the FundHub, too. Print off your "My Results Form" and/or send Donation Forms in with any cheques.
Once you register online, you can use the online Fundhub to send your friends and family a link to your personal fundraising page. There, they can give to you securely online by credit card.
Alternately, you can download a Pledge Form, print it out and ask people face-to-face for support. For more information on raising money, visit the Tools area of the website.
5km walk: 45 min to 1 hour 15 min
10km ride: 45 min to 1 hour
25km ride: 1.5 hours to 2 hours
50km ride: 2.5 hours to 3 hours 15 min
The 5km walk and 10 km ride are designed to be family friendly, but kids 12 and under must remain with a parent or guardian at all times.
Youth ages 11-17 are encouraged to raise the $75 each to earn their t-shirt. If they don't reach their fundraising minimum, they can select to pay the registration fee.
There is no charge for kids 10 years and under to participate. However, in order to get a t-shirt, they must raise their $75 minimum.
T-shirts are available in sizes Youth Small (6-8) to adult 3XL.
Sending a personal thank you is a great way to connect with your donors and help them feel appreciated! To thank your donors, you can:
You can register online at any time leading up to RIDE Day. We recommend you register early so that you can use the weeks before RIDE Day to raise lots of funds for your charity and so that location leaders know how many to expect on RIDE Day.
We issue charitable tax receipts for donations of $20 or more. Gifts made online with a credit card get automatically receipted, while cash or cheque gifts given in at the registration table on RIDE Day will be receipted by email or regular mail within 60 days of the event.
No - for the safety of our riders and walkers, we would ask that all other dogs and pets sit this one out. Licensed service animals wearing their working vests are always welcome.
To earn a snazzy T-shirt, RIDE participants must fundraise $150+ for adults, or $75+ for youth under 17.
NOTE: T-shirts are earned individually, and not as part of a team fundraising effort.
The choice for where your funds will be directed is made by the Team Captain. To choose where you'd like your funds to go, you can either:
If you live 60 or more minutes away from one of our locations, select RIDE/WALK Anywhere as your location when you register.
How it works: short version
When a donor gives online in the RIDE, we provide them an opportunity to "opt-in" and cover the 4.25% processing fees we pay to process each credit card donation. It's totally voluntary, and helps the RIDE reduce its operating costs for the event.
Processing fees:
Tax Receipt: This extra amount is added to your overall donation total. For example, a donor gives $100 and covers the 4.25% processing fee - the tax receipt issued is for $104.25.
All children 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who is riding with them and stays with them at all times. The 10km route is family-friendly, but not intended for children riding alone.
No - to keep everyone safe, we want only walkers on the walk route, and only bicycles on the RIDE route.
Anything pushed or pulled by parents on the walk route (strollers, wagons) is permitted. For the safety of our walkers, children may not ride the walk route. Bikes, longboards, skateboards, etc. are not permitted. Wheelchairs are, of course, permitted on the walk route.
No, sorry. To keep our walkers and joggers as safe as possible, the only wheels allowed on the walk route are strollers, wagons, or wheelchairs.
Sure - Joggers will be asked to start at the front of the line and head out first.
Have someone from that charity reach out to us - we'd love to connect!
Here are the requirements for being a RIDE charity:
This is a fundraising event. Your fundraising will bring awareness and the much-needed money that charities need to do the work they do.
Simply add in five zeroes (00000) as the postal code, and the donation page should allow you to continue - if you're still having trouble, please contact our offices and we'll be more than happy to help!
To facilitate our processing of these donations, you must EITHER:
Option 1: Divide pledges up between team members in advance of RIDE Day (especially if team members are adding these pledges online into their own accounts), so that each team member is handing in their own Donation Form and donation amount at registration
Option 2: Enter all money you gathered as donations under the Captain's personal account, understanding that you can still use what you raised to cover the registration fee requirements for each of your team members.
If you choose to enter all money under the Captain's account, when your team arrives on RIDE Day, just explain to the registration volunteer that your total is meant to help all members on your team reach their minimums.
Absolutely! Feel free to bring your little ones along in a stroller or wagon.
There is no way to record cash or cheque donations directly to your team in our fundraising system.
If your team, rather than a specific team member, has raised some cash and/or cheque donations, you'll need to make a decision - you can either a) record these donations under your team captain, who will then hand in the money at registration on RIDE Day, or b) pick one of your team members to record the donation, and then they will hand in the money on RIDE Day.
Either way, the amount that each rider has recorded in pledges on their personal account must match the amount that they hand in at the registration table on RIDE Day.
Definitely! Email or call us and we'll take care of it for you.
Email or call us and we'll take care of it for you. We'll need to know:
No - you can have as many people join your team as you'd like! There is no limit.
To edit your personal goal:
To edit your team's goal:
All participants must accept the waiver to participate in the RIDE:
To find your RIDE's start location, choose the city you are participating in on the locations page – everything you need is there, including start/finish location, address, map, contact numbers, emails, route descriptions, and most other location-specific details.
Short answer: Email or call us and we'll take care of it for you.
Note: If you have collected cash or cheque pledges, please:
Ride For Refuge
260-659 King Street East
Kitchener, ON
N2G 2M4
Yes! Sorry, we know it's kind of a pain, but it helps us to know how many participants to expect on event day when each person is registered.
You could route them all to the same email address or even post all donations under one family member's name for efficiency's sake, but each person should have their own profile.
Families may pool their donations to reach their minimums or earn their t-shirts.
If you receive cash or cheques made payable to YOU, please log in to the FundHub, click Enter $$ or Cheques, and enter in the donor information there. You then have one of two choices:
Make sure the username and password you are using does not contain any spaces. For example, if you are using your full name as your username, enter it as firstnamelastname with no spaces.
Still having trouble? Contact us!
Yes - have them made out to Ride for Refuge, with your name on the memo line. These can be brought with your Donation Forms and any cash you collect for registration on RIDE Day.
They may also be sent to the RIDE Head Office after the event - just be sure to include your Pledge Form or "My Results" form if you send it in by mail.
Mailing Address:
Ride for Refuge
Unit 260-659 King Street East
Kitchener, ON
N2G 2M4
You may download a copy of the pledge form directly from the RIDE Tools and Forms page.
You bet! Approximately every 10 km, you will find a rest area that includes a porta-potty and water. Snacks are also available at the 20 km rest stop.
Many cyclists enjoy a nice rest along the way. Remember, it's not a race... it's a RIDE.
Each member of your team can select a different distance if you like. The event often begins with everyone together in a large group, but we often end up riding in small packs with riders of, uh, similar physical condition. ; )
All riders are expected to do a "once-over" on their bicycle before the RIDE begins. We will have some basic tools available to help with small repairs should you require help on the route.
We also have sweep vehicles who can pick you up and drive you back to the start/finish location if your bike breaks down - or you can't go on.
Yes! The Ride for Refuge requires all riding participants to wear approved cycling helmets. Other kinds of protective helmets (such as hockey helmets) are not acceptable.
You have two choices:
Option 1. Bring your Donation Form with you to registration on RIDE Day with all cheques, and cash. Be sure to carefully review your sponsors for legible names, email, and addresses so that we can issue tax receipts for donations.
At registration, you will be greeted by some friendly RIDE Registration Volunteers and sit with them for a few minutes while they check over your Donation Form, have you sign a waiver form, give you your event wristband and your t-shirt ticket if you're raised $150 or more.
Option 2. You can mail them to RIDE Head Office. Cheques made out to "Ride for Refuge" should include participant name on the memo line. Be sure to add them online in the FundHub, too. Print off your "My Results Form" and/or send the Donation Forms in with any cheques.
Mailing Address:
Ride for Refuge
Unit 260-659 King Street East
Kitchener, ON
N2G 2M4
Each RIDE location will host a celebration lunch for all volunteers and participants of the RIDE.
Yes. If you have joined a team, your fundraising and sponsor totals will be reflected in both your team total and the overall event total.
Definitely! Everyone who joins a team selects their own route distance during registration. You can have people riding or walking all distances on the same team.
Online donors who give securely with their credit cards get e-receipts within minutes of their donations. Donors who give cheques or cash are receipted within 60 days of the event by regular email or post (for donations of $20 or more).
Ask us! Visit the contact page to get in touch with our friendly customer-service team.