Team Osgoode raises more than $35,000 in charity ride

They did it! Team Osgoode – the team of cyclists from York University who participated in this past weekend’s Ride to Conquer Cancer – finished their 200-plus-kilometre, two-day bicycling trek from Toronto to Niagara Falls with flying colours. The group raised $35,210 in total for Princess Margaret Hospital.

Above: Team Osgoode paused for a photo prior to crossing the finish line in Niagara Falls on Sunday, June 13. The group of York students, faculty, staff and alumni rode in the Princess Margaret Hospital Ride to Conquer Cancer. From left: Ken Jepson, who is developing continuing legal education programs for the law school; Osgoode Professor Paul Emond; Professor Ed Waitzer, Jarislowsky Dimma Mooney Chair in Corporate Governance at York University; broadcaster Paula Todd (BA ’82, LLB ’88); Osgoode Professor Allan Hutchinson; Charlotte Davis (Richard Haigh’s partner); Osgoode Professor Stephanie Ben-Ishai (LLB ’00); Osgoode Professor Richard Haigh; and Patrick Monahan (LLB ’80), vice-president academic & provost of York. Osgoode Professor Poonam Puri and her husband, Elian Terner (LLB ’97), were riding out ahead and missed the photo opportunity.

“It was a challenging but tremendously enjoyable and rewarding event,” said cyclist Patrick Monahan, York vice-president academic & provost. “The most challenging part of the entire weekend was the final stretch going up the Hamilton Mountain towards our first-day end point in Ancaster.”

Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Poonam Puri described the ride, which attracted more than 4,000 cyclists, as “an absolutely amazing experience.” Puri said she rode “reasonably well” on Saturday, averaging just over 20 kilometres an hour. “My strategy was to save enough energy for the next day and so on Sunday, I was faster.”

Right: From left: Emond, Davis, Waitzer, Monahan, Ben-Ishai, Allan Hutchinson, Puri, Haigh, Terner and Jepson

Puri said Team Osgoode is already signing up cyclists for the 2011 ride. “We hope more people from the York University community will consider riding with us next year,” said Puri, adding with a grin that “training starts tomorrow.”

Those interested in participating in next year’s ride can contact Puri at ppuri@osgoode.yorku.ca.