Teachers, business owners and more will cycle across the province in June for student breakfast programs, going through the Battlefords twice. (Submitted photo/Shaun Newman)

By battlefordsNOW Staff

Bike for Breakfast

Lloydminster community members cycling across Saskatchewan for student breakfast

May 5, 2021 | 4:45 PM

A group of teachers, business owners and residents from Lloydminster and the surrounding region are banding together to put the pedal to the metal in meal funding for local students.

Podcast host Shaun Newman, Dr. Nekky Jamal of Wayside Dental Centre and eight others will participate in Bike for Breakfast, a cross-provincial cycling trip to Tuffnell and back, to raise funding for school breakfast programs affected by budget cuts. Newman said the bike excursion, which will take place June 4-6, stemmed out of a desire to get active again, with several other avenues of physical exercise taken away from pandemic restrictions.

“I figured no one is going to stop you from biking by yourself,” he said. “So I talked to Nekky Jamal and said ‘I want to do this with you’ and he said okay.”

It will be done relay race style, with the group leaving that Friday evening at 5:00 p.m. and getting back on the Sunday. This will have the group coming through North Battleford between 10:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. on June 4, then back through the community sometime the morning or afternoon of June 6. The trip will also take them through areas like Langham, Saskatoon and Lanigan.

Newman said he once biked across Canada years ago with his brother, but wanted this to involve the entire regional community. Thirty-two schools will receive funding, affecting students in the city’s public and catholic schools, along with neighbouring communities like Hillmond, Lashburn, Kitscoty, Marshall and others.

Break-in suspect sought

Suspect sought after Nipawin break-in

8h ago

Manslaughter sentence

Man sentenced after pleading guilty to manslaughter in death of brother in Sandy Lake

10h ago

BREAK INS

Several businesses hit by overnight break and enters in Naicam

13h ago

“We wanted a diverse group, because it’s not about someone’s name,” he said. “It’s about trying to do something good for the surrounding community and this is a way to try and do that.”

The other participants include Lloydminster Bobcats Head Coach Nigel Dube, Jim Taylor from Grinding Gears, Reinetta Morningchild of Onion Lake Cree Nation and Brad Hoffman of 4th Meridian Brewing Company. 4th Meridian will host a fundraiser for Bike for Breakfast on May 13, which includes pizza donated by Dominos.

“We probably could have had a hundred people doing it, but we capped it at 10,” Newman said.

Despite being a new event with limited numbers, the fundraising goal is $200,000.

“It’s lofty, but dream big, right?” Newman said.

Dr. Nekky Jamal said he was shocked to learn that there are kids that aren’t able to get enough food because of cuts.

“I never even considered it was going on in our community,” he said. “To hear there’s such a drastic cut in funding just made me want to help.”

“That shouldn’t be what kids have to focus on. It should be focusing on learning, not focusing on hunger.”

Jamal said he’s excited for June 4, especially for the opportunity to team up with this group of people in the extended community. While having not cycled extensively since he was a kid, he’s ready for the unique challenge.

“We’re doing whatever we can to fill the gaps in the budget and ensure that kids get fed and don’t go to school hungry,” he said. “Maybe I’ll get in shape along the way.”

Anyone looking to donate can do so through the Lloydminster Kinsmen Club or the Bike for Breakfast GoFundMe page.

—

josh.ryan@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @JoshRyanSports