Global Gathering Place is hosting Ride for Refuge in Saskatoon this year on October 3! Ride for Refuge is a nationwide family-friendly cycling and walking fundraiser event that partners with charities that take part in helping those seeking refuge from danger, abuse, and hardship.

As a drop-in centre and place of refuge, Global Gathering Place assists newcomers with unexpected needs that fall outside of our regular programs and services. Funds raised through Ride for Refuge give us much-needed financial flexibility, enabling us to provide immediate support to those who bravely walk through our doors to ask for help. The astounding $38,000 our community raised last year has supported our clients in their time of greatest need.

These flexible funds have enabled us to:

• Assist a refugee client after his electric wheelchair broke and his family was not able to afford to replace it
• Finance a hotel stay for a woman and her child who lost access to their finances when they fled domestic abuse
• Compensate an elderly client who was taken advantage of by someone she trusted with her debit card and PIN
• Provide a subscription to Microsoft Office for a visually-impaired client to be able to learn valuable computer skills
• Regularly stock Nourish Nook, our food pantry that provides food hampers to clients in need
• Cover an ambulance bill for a high-risk woman requiring emergency transport to the hospital to give birth

The ride itself will be a fun and engaging opportunity for our community to show our support for newcomers. We will gather on October 3 to walk or cycle a loop along the river and gather to enjoy a meal, local entertainment, and family-friendly festivities. This is a peer-to-peer fundraiser. Anyone can become a Team Captain and register a team online then recruit a fundraising team and raise money together!