Global Gathering Place is hosting Ride for Refuge in Saskatoon this year on September 28! Ride for Refuge is a nation-wide family-friendly cycling and walking fundraiser event that partners with charities who take part in helping those seeking refuge from danger, abuse and hardship.

As a drop-in centre and place of refuge, we assist 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 $29,000+ our community raised last year has supported our clients in their time of greatest need. These flexible funds have enabled us to support refugees with complex health needs, provide emergency housing for women and children fleeing domestic violence, and intervene when vulnerable newcomers are faced with choosing between feeding their family and paying rent.

The ride itself will be a fun and engaging opportunity for our community to show our support for vulnerable newcomers. We will gather on September 28 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! On RIDE Day, captains make sure their teammates check-in, stick together, and have tons of fun. You can head to our Ride for Refuge page rideforrefuge.org/location/saskatoon to register as an individual or team and participate in the ride.

You can also support our work with newcomers by donating through the Ride for Refuge website! If you would like to support our cause directly, you can head to rideforrefuge.org/location/saskatoon

Or, you can encourage your employer to sponsor Saskatoon’s Ride! We have a range of opportunities for local sponsorship. Reach out to jeff.losie@globalgatheringplace.com for more information.

If you have questions about the event or starting a fundraising team, please reach out to Kennedy at kennedy.owen@globalgatheringplace.com.

How can you join in?

1. Sign up online at rideforrefuge.org/location/saskatoon

2. Gather friends, family members, coworkers, faith-groups or classmates to join your team (you can also fundraise as an individual or join an existing team)

3. Your team will use the tips and tools FundHub provides (or your own!) to gather donations from your community

4. Join us on September 28 to ride a 10k or 20k loop or walk a 2.5k or 5k loop along the South Saskatchewan River (with lots of rest stops and snacks) and then enjoy a free outdoor meal and live music at a local park.