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As Team Captain, you play the key role of leader, recruiter, fundraiser, planner, and cheerleader. Here's the basics:
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". Mail this cheque in, along with any other cheque donations you have collected, to RIDE Head Office. For our address, scroll to the very bottom of this page.
You sure can! Any donations of $20 or more will generate a tax receipt, including donations you make to your own fundraising campaign.
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 our How to Fundraise page.
This can only be performed by the participant who started the team (the Team Captain).
No - however, to get their little mitts on one of our fabulous RIDE T-shirts, kids of any age need to fundraise $75 or more, and eat at least 2 more bites of that broccoli.
Yes - we must have all donations submitted to us online or by mail by October 31, 2025. 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
You betcha! Anyone who hits their fundraising minimum ($150 for adults, $75 for youth 17 and under) qualifies for one of our iconic RIDE t-shirts.
Originally, the RIDE was in the fall as part of our attempt 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. (Of course, things have changed a lot since RIDE started, but it's still a proud part of our history.)
Yes! If you are biking, skateboarding, baking with particular intensity, or doing anything else where a helmet is recommended, wear it.
We issue charitable tax receipts for donations of $20 or more. We also require a full, current mailing address for the donor (as per CRA legislation). 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.
Yes, you can. Cheques made out to "Ride for Refuge" should include the participant/team name on the memo line. Be sure to add them online in FundHub, too! Print off your "My Results Form" and/or send Donation Forms in with any cheques.
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.
Important note: T-Shirts are earned individually, and not as part of a team fundraising effort! We are only able to distribute shirts to individual participants who have met their minimum amounts above - donations made directly to a team or to a team captain aren't included.
Only as a last resort. Your RIDE charity can only process a small amount of cash donations, and it will take you longer to get checked-in on event day if you bring physical currency.
Whenever possible, please follow the instructions here instead:
When a donor gives online, we provide them with an opportunity to 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.
To edit your personal goal:
To edit your team's goal:
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.
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:
Yes! The only way we let anyone get their hands on one of our famous RIDE T-Shirts is by reaching their fundraising minimum - that's $150 for adults 18+, or $75 for youth aged 17 and under.
No, there is no registration fee this year! Instead, we encourage all participants to focus on fundraising for their charities.
Every RIDE location is hosted by an approved RIDE charity - when you choose where you're riding, you're also choosing who you're fundraising for!
Charities must apply and be approved to partner with the Ride for Refuge. If you have a favourite charity that's not on our list, here's what you can do:
Requirements for being a RIDE Charity include:
No... but it's better if you do! We encourage all teams and participants to set aside October as the big day when their fundraising activity will either happen or conclude. If your team has scheduling conflicts, feel free to move it to any day between Labour Day weekend and Thanksgiving.
Yes - if you get sick, do what's needed to get better! But remember, you can do your activity at any time, and the money you raise for your charity is still valuable. So if you are able, reschedule instead of cancelling.
No - all children aged 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times, whether biking or walking.
Yes! Each member of your team can select their own activity and distance during registration (and change it later if needed).
There are benefits to doing different activities (diversity is great), but it can also encourage team spirit if you are all working towards a similar goal. Choose what works best for your team!
Well, it's easy to switch between biking or walking at any time, so if you haven't picked yet, just choose your best guess! If you need to switch it later, login to your Fundhub, click Registration, and change your Distance. You can do this as many times as you like!
Yes! Here's how:
If you are too far away from your RIDE location, you can bike or walk anywhere you like (as long as it's safe)! However, donors outside Canada will likely not be able to use the Canadian Tax Receipt we issue when they support you.
No - you can have as many or as few people on a team as you like! All the way from one to one thousand.
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, the best thing to do is enter them as pledges under your team captain. They can either:
If you receive cash or cheques made payable to YOU, please log in to your FundHub, click Enter $$ or Cheques, and enter the donor information there. You then have one of two choices:
Yes - have them made out to Ride for Refuge, with your name on the memo line. This allows us to connect you to your team and your team to your charity.
They should be sent to the RIDE Head Office after the event - be sure to include your Pledge Form if you send it by mail.
No - not unless you specifically opt-in to share it with the charity you are supporting. Otherwise, Blue Sea Foundation does not share your information with anyone. Period. For more information: https://rideforrefuge.org/privacy
Yes. Because of the way event insurance works, everyone who participates needs to register.
No problem! If you need to find an offline method to register, just call our office (1-877-743-3413). One of our team will be happy to help.
Yes.
Email or call us and we'll take care of it for you. We'll need to know:
To facilitate our processing of these donations, you must pick one of the following:
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.
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!
Definitely! Email or call us and we'll take care of it for you.
Short answer: Email or call us and we'll take care of it for you.
Long answer: If you have collected cash or cheque pledges, please:
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!
You may download a copy of the Pledge Form from the RIDE Tools + Forms page.
Yes. All online donations are processed through our secure third party Fundhub and financial gateway.
No, we don't require a minimum amount to be fundraised in order to participate. But we definitely do encourage participants to set a strong fundraising goal that's at least $150 for adults and $75 for youth. Participants who hit those amounts are thanked with one of our beautiful RIDE T-shirts!
Yes. Just make sure you ask personally - explain why you are participating and how your fundraising will help the charity you are supporting. People will give if you give them a chance - don't answer for them!
Ask us! Visit the contact page to get in touch with our friendly customer-service team.