By Bryan Eneas

International snowmobile riders seek cure for diabetes

Feb 15, 2018 | 7:01 AM

A group of snowmobilers from the United States and Canada are setting out on an international journey to support diabetes research.

Five Americans and five Canadians will make the 6,500 kilometer journey between Michigan and Alaska, with multiple stops in the Great White North. The team has planned stops in Sturgis, Nipawin, Christopher Lake, Big River and Meadow Lake in Saskatchewan, with additional stops planned in Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon.

According to Don Lipinski, the president of MichCanSka Adventures, every rider making the long journey has been personally touched by diabetes.

“It all started with about 50 of us who have Type 1 diabetes but that was inherited from Agent Orange; we’re all Vietnam vets. We all have it, so that’s why we did it,” Lipinski said, adding two of his grandchildren have also been diagnosed with diabetes.

“We want a cure,” he said.

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The crew departs from Sault St Marie, Michigan Feb. 15. Lipinksi said the group plans to spend the night in Christopher Lake Feb. 25, before stopping for lunch in Big River Feb. 26 and arriving in Meadow Lake the same night.

The Canadian riders, who hail from north-western Ontario, have already departed from their homes in Thunder Bay and Cassleman.

Lipinski said the riders have gathered nearly $240,000 dollars for diabetes research since 2010. The total included roughly $109,000 which was raised in a similar journey in 2010. The group is collecting donations online, and while time may be short at some stops, Lipinski said in-person donations are welcome.

“We get people coming up to us and giving us a $10 bill, a $20 bill, a $50 bill,” he said. “You can do it and have fun doing it, but you can also do it and feel good about it at night.”

The group of riders are no stranger to epic treks across North America; the average age of the group is 69 and, according to Lipinski, each snowmobiler has participated in long rides through the U.S. and Eastern and Central Canada. Riders are prepared and ready for any conditions they may face, he said.

“You’ve got to be physically capable, you’ve got to have the right kind of machine – you can’t be riding a six-year-old machine,” Lipinski said.

Lipinski said the riders pay significant expenses out-of-pocket as well, and estimated each rider will put forward roughly $20,000 by the end of the trip.

All donations collected during the ride will be split among three organizations; the American Diabetes Association, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Diabetes Canada. Lipinski said all donations collected before and during the ride go directly to the organizations and do not support MichCanSka operations or overhead.

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @BryanEneas