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13 · Wednesday, August 11, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com Living Oakville Beaver LIVING EDITOR: ANGELA BLACKBURN By Nathan Howes OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Phone: 905-337-5560 Fax: 905-337-5571 e-mail: ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com Riders with a cause: cure MS If you plan on taking a trip to Acton or Waterloo this weekend, you won't be the only one -- about 500 cyclists will be joining you on the excursion. On Aug. 14 and 15, the RONA MS Bike Tour will be riding to and from both towns to help raise money and awareness for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. The ride will go from Acton to Waterloo on Saturday and will return to Acton on Sunday. The tour is expected to draw approximately 500 cyclists and more than $370,000 in donations for the MS Society. The RONA MS Bike Tour has been taking place in Ontario for 20 years now but this year will be the first to start in Halton. Oakville resident Catriona Berry will be participating in her third year on the tour. `Team AstraZeneca,' Berry's team, will consist of eight people this year, including herself as the captain. The team has set their fundraising goal at more than $3,500 for the tour. There are two options for the route Berry is doing. The base route is 150 kilometres but there's an optional 25-km loop. This year they've added a route that is 75 km with the option of adding 25 km each way, which would make the route 200 km to and from Waterloo. "I've done this ride for a couple of years now. It was probably about four hours each way. You ride 100 (km) one day and sleep over at the University of Waterloo and then you do the 100 (km) back the next day," said Berry. Berry decided to join the tour because her and a friend wanted to take on the challenge of riding 150 km over a two-day period. Since joining the tour, Berry has become aware of the impact of the disease and how important her team's fundraising is to supporting the MS Society's research and services. Berry encourages everyone to try the tour. "There is a wonderful sense of camaraderie along the way. People Oakville Sports Hall of Fame accepting scholarship applications The Oakville Sports Hall of Fame (OSHOF) is inviting applications for its Athlete Scholarship & Assistance Program (ASAP). Through the generosity of Larry Cain and Donovan Bailey, both honoured members of the Oakville Sports Hall of Fame, the Oakville Sports Endowment Fund has been created to help local athletes in need of financial assistance to pursue their objectives in sport. The Oakville Sports Hall of Fame is responsible for identifying athletes who may receive assistance from the fund. Awards will be $1,000 and are to be given annually. The awards are ideally targeted to athletes who are from Oakville, competing at the national or international level, and need help with the costs of their program. Both able-bodied and disabled athletes will be considered. The deadline for applications for the fall of 2010 is Aug. 31. For more information or an application form, go to www.oshof.com or contact John Kubacki 905-849-5882. The Oakville Sports Hall of Fame is a volunteer, not-for-profit organization dedicated to honouring our hometown heroes and raising funds to encourage the continued development of Oakville's future sports all stars. Since it's inception 11 years ago, the Oakville Sports Hall of Fame (www.oshof.com) has recognized and subsequently honoured more than 30 significant sporting individuals, including Olympic medallists, premier professional athletes, award-winning coaches and builders and an elite high school team for their athletic accomplishments and contributions to the Oakville community and beyond. ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER ON THE ROAD: Oakville resident Catriona Berry is participating in the upcoming RONA MS Bike Tour. Here she rides her bike along the street by her home with her daughter Avalon. "There is a wonderful sense of camaraderie along the way. People from diverse backgrounds are united by their love for friends and family living with MS and by their passion for cycling." Catriona Berry, Oakville from diverse backgrounds are united by their love for friends and family living with MS and by their passion for cycling," said Berry. Last year, the Brampton to Waterloo ride raised over $355,000. It is one of the more substantial fundraisers for the MS Society. The proceeds that were raised went to fund services for people with MS and their families, along with education, MS clinics and MS research. Every day, three people in Canada are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, according to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada's website. Women are more than three times as likely to develop MS as men. The disease is unpredictable and can be crippling; it affects the central nervous system. It can cause vision, hearing, memory, balance and mobility problems and can last a lifetime. Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the world. The RONA MS Bike Tour was in Ottawa last weekend as the cyclists made their way from Canada's capital all the way to Kemptville. Last month the tour traveled from Grand Bend to London on July 24 and 25 and raised more than $1.1 million. There are two more RONA MS Bike Tours in Ontario scheduled for late August and September. The first will take place in Niagara on Aug. 22 and will be followed by a stop through Toronto on Sept. 12. "It's a great event. It's very well organized and it's a lot of fun to participate in. We cross our fingers for good weather. We were very lucky the last couple of years."