Follow Ramesh's Journey

There were no tropical storms in sight today, and the weather was great for cycling. Before we began today’s ride, we were invited to present to both the Rotary Club of New Minas Sunrise and the Kentville Rotary Club. One Rotarian told me he could recall when insurance companies sold polio insurance back in the 1950s. It was the first time I heard of such a thing. Still, learning that polio insurance was sold in the 1950s isn’t surprising when one considers how deeply polio affected Canadians. Everyone across the nation feared polio.

The two Rotary Clubs we met with were so inspired by the work Cycle to Walk is doing that they made a donation to Rotary International’s PolioPlus program in honour of Cycle to Walk. It’s great to see that people are getting motivated again to come together and eradicate polio from our world. After filling myself with breakfast pizza (I know it sounds weird, but it was so good!), the road team headed to Paradise to resume the route we left prior to Tropical Storm Hanna.

The CBC did a great story on polio a few years back that’s really worth watching. I’ve posted it before, but would like to do so again right here. Please check out Polio: Combating the Crippler if you haven’t yet.

Today we progressed 119 km along the route, shared the message with young Canadians, senior reporters and veteran politicians. Thank you to MP Scott Brison for taking time out of your busy day to discuss polio with me.

We realized again today just how small of a world it is when Stan, a reporter from Acadia University’s newspaper ended up being the son of Louise Beland – a good friend of the campaign from New Brunswick. Louise was so welcoming and supportive during our time in Saint John. It was so neat to accidentally run in to her son like that! It was great to meet you Stan!

So after a long day on the road, the team drove to Halifax and was welcomed into the home of Bob Wright and Marjorie Hickey. It’s so amazing how Canadians have been so accommodating for the team. People have given up their rooms, made meals, and shared so much of themselves to ensure that the team has a piece of home life in its day. Thank you so much to Laura, Julia, and Kevin for putting up with us for the next couple of days, and an extra special thank-you to Julia for staying at a friend’s house to make room for the team while we stay in your home.