WELLINGTON COUNTY – Quebec resident Stephen Dartt biked through Wellington County this week, as part of his “Trek for Hope” fundraiser across Canada.
The 57 year-old is raising funds and awareness for research towards cholangiocarcinoma (also known as bile duct cancer), the rare form of cancer he is battling.
Dartt’s goal is to raise $30,000 and donate proceeds to the Make a Wish Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society.
“The whole thing’s about awareness,” said Dartt just after finishing a leg of his trip through Fergus.
After a year of planning the trek began in June. Dartt and his wife Marie drove their RV – dubbed the “hope wagon” – out to Abbotsford, British Columbia.
There Dartt began the challenge of biking back across Canada to his home in the suburbs of Montreal, with his wife driving the vehicle alongside him on the trip.
After being diagnosed with this rare form of cancer, Dartt was devastated, and recalled feeling unmotivated.
“I was at home crying about my cancer,” he said.
But eventually, he decided he needed to do something.
“This is really not about me anymore,” Dartt emphasized, adding he’s not the only one with cholangiocarcinoma and more research needs to be done.
Stephen Dartt in front of the RV he has dubbed the “hope wagon.” Submitted photo
Dartt just recently received more support, noting during his Aug. 20 interview with the Advertiser that he recently partnered with the Canadian Cancer Society.
“It makes such a big difference,” he said of the partnership.
Dartt travelled through Wellington County, visiting the IScreamm Cone Company in Arthur on Aug. 19 and spending that night in Fergus, parking the hope wagon at the Home Hardware parking lot.
From there they are plan on staying at the Guelph Lake Conservation Area for the Aug. 20 to 22 weekend.
Dartt told the Advertiser one of his favourite memories about the trip started off terribly, as his bike was stolen in Sault Ste. Marie.
At first he was discouraged and started to question his whole trip, but then the town rallied around him, looking for his bike and coming together with donations to replace it.
“It was just a humbling experience,” he said.
Generally, Dartt will bike three to four days consecutively then take a break for a day, but he emphasized it really depends on how he’s feeling, as he’s more and more feeling the strain from the long journey.
On Sept. 7 Dartt has a medical scan in Montreal so there is some pressure to meet that deadline as the appointment has already been rescheduled once.
After this brief break in Montreal, Dartt hopes to go all the way to Newfoundland on his trek.
For more information or to donate visit https://trekforhope.ca.
