The 2025 Bike for Brain Health event in Toronto was a triple-win for the Acart family. This annual event that sees cyclists of all stripes pedal along a car-free Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway wasn’t just a fantastic day of sun and fun from our unique vantage point. Bike for Brain Health enabled us to raise an impressive $10,000 for Baycrest, a healthcare provider near and dear to our hearts, while honouring our company founder and providing each one of us an extremely rewarding workout.
Baycrest has personal importance to the Acart family, as the institution supported Acart’s founder, Dick Flynn (who sadly passed in August 2024), during his fight against Alzheimer’s. Baycrest offers amazing research and programs to support dementia patients, and the Bike for Brain Health fundraising effort goes a long way towards helping Baycrest fulfill its mission to lead transformative research, care, innovation and education in aging and brain health. The fact that Dick Flynn was originally a supporter of Baycrest, especially the Pro-Am Tournament, and now other members of the Acart family are supporting the Foundation, has symbolically brought Acart’s relationship with Baycrest full circle.
Riding under the banner of Team Acart/Papa, it was a perfect day for cycling with clear blue skies and our individual goals offering a wellspring of inspiration on the tip of the horizon. Our team consisted of Dick’s family (notably his beloved grandchildren), friends and Acart team members. We are thrilled to share that most Acart team members successfully completed the 25K ride, and extra kudos to our long-time Ontario territory manager, Gilles Lapierre, for conquering the 75K route.
Thank you to every one of our Team Acart/Papa ride participants, and an even bigger thank you to everyone who sponsored our team and helped us raise over $10,000 for a very important cause.
Inspired to experience a car-free Gardiner and DVP yourself in 2026? Visit the Bike for Brain Health website to learn about next year’s event and sign up. To learn more about Baycrest and the centre’s range of research and support services, visit the Baycrest website now.
