Gene Piccoli, BComm 78, and his children
The Concordia alumnus is founder and chair of the 580-kilometre cycling marathon, which starts at the Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto and ends at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
“What we raise goes towards things like cancer research and buying equipment for these kids,” says Piccoli, whose day job is vice-president of CIBC Wood Gundy.
The three-day endurance event has taken place annually since 2005. So far, Piccoli has always been along for the ride, which typically has 50 participants. This year, the bike challenge takes place from August 12 to 14.
“We set a new record each year,” says Piccoli of the money raised by the event. To date, the bike-a-thon has collected $1.5 million in donations.
While CIBC is the title sponsor, support comes from several other corporate donors, as well as through sponsorship of cyclists and outright donations.
For Piccoli, cancer is a battle that hits close to home.
“My wife had Hodgkin’s disease,” he reveals. “She underwent treatment like chemotherapy for a year and a half.” She fully recovered, and the couple went on to have two children — one of whom is James Piccoli, a professional cyclist and a student in Concordia's Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science.
The CIBC 401 Bike Challenge gang, including (far right with his foot on the curb) Phil Liggett, a British commentator who covers the Tour de France.