BATUS supports local food bank during 24-hour cycle charity event

Over 24 hours, four BATUS team members will be Cycling 180 kilometres each.

All while on an empty stomach at the CFB Suffield Rec Centre with only water and electrolytes.

And while supporting two charities, including the Medicine Hat Food Bank.

“I’ve now been in Medicine Hat for almost two years or at Suffield for almost two years and I’ve come to grow very fond of the local town and the local community and it’s great to be able to support a local charity,” MJR Tom Konarzewski said.

The team is also bringing its military background to the challenge and will be supporting the ABF Soldiers’ Charity.

Konarzewski says it’s the official charity for the British army, that was set up in 1944, “It doesn’t just support the serving soldiers, it supports the veterans, it supports the families, the husbands, the wives, the children.”

The cycling challenge idea came about when COVID-19 happened, and the soldiers felt it was a great idea to mesh the two organizations together.

“And then at the same time tag it since we are military to do something for our fellow soldiers. There are a lot of people suffering both in the military, ex-soldiers, etc, and the local community,” Cpl. Kwesi Nyalemegbe told Chat News.

The soldiers say the physical element of cycling during the 24 hours will not be the hard part, it’s the sleep deprivation and lack of food that will be the challenge.

“No food, so to make it as challenging as possible so that we can kind of feel what it’s like to go through difficulties like a lot of people are during this time,” Nyalemegbe said.

Executive Director of the Medicine Hat Food Bank Celina Symmonds says the support from BATUS is amazing, “We know the economic impact that BATUS has on Medicine Hat and surrounding area and the fact that there are people in the U.K right now thinking about our community that just means so much.”

The Food Bank’s brown bag lunch program reaches to Ralston as well.

The soldiers have also donated and volunteered their time to the local Food Bank.

Nyalemegbe says they have volunteered their time to the local Food Bank, “So I started to do some volunteer work at the food bank and the idea came up, they needed a lot of supports and they are self-funded.”

The goal for BATUS is to raise 1,000 Britsh Pounds or $1,000 for each of the charities.

The cycling challenge takes place on Thursday, September 24 at the C.F.B Suffield Recreation Centre in Ralston, AB indoors on a WattBike.

To donate to the ABF Soldiers’ Charity visit this link.

To donate to the Medicine Hat Food Bank visit this link.

For more information search BATUS 24 HR Cycle Charity Event on Facebook.

by Chantal Wagner

BATUS supports local food bank during 24-hour cycle charity event

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