Over 45 cyclists peddled their way through Penticton on Tuesday as part of the third annual British Columbia Chapter of the Paramedic Ride.
Partipants in the third annual British Columbia Chapter of the Paramedic Ride just arrived in #Penticton from Osoyoos. The ride ultimately ends in Kamloops. pic.twitter.com/6tV6gUKkVb
— Penticton Western News (@PentictonNews) June 4, 2019
The roughly 400-kilometre ride, which raises awareness of the dangers of being a paramedic, began in Osoyoos this morning and finishes in Peachland for the night.
On the second day, cyclists travel to Vernon and then Sorrento on the third day, finishing off in Kamloops on day four.
So far, the B.C. riders have raised $12,940 of their $10,000 goal, said Dave Deines, provincial vice president of the Ambulance Paramedics and Emergency.
READ MORE: Overdose calls keep Kelowna paramedics busy
All the money raised goes to the national non-profit, Canadian Paramedic Memorial Foundation, which is working to erect a monument in Ottawa to recognize the 49 paramedics who have died in the line of duty, Deines said.
People may not be aware that in Ottawa there is a national monument for peace officers and firefighters but not one for paramedics, he said.
READ MORE: B.C. paramedics to be trained in at-home care for seriously ill, end-of-life patients
“Paramedics and emergency dispatchers face the same kind of dangerous situations that our partners in public safety do. The one that everyone is aware of right now is the mental illness injury, not just to front-line paramedics but also to emergency medical call takers and dispatchers. In some instances, they even have it worse because they see the scene at the end of the day.”
