My Experience with the Rotary Ride for Hearing 2024

As CEO of Edora Health and a passionate advocate for accessible healthcare, I’m excited to share my involvement in this year’s Rotary Ride for Hearing on July 14th in Vancouver.

Why This Event Matters

This is my second year volunteering with the Rotary Ride for Hearing, and it perfectly aligns with my mission to make healthcare more accessible and preventive.

The statistics are staggering – 20% of Canadians suffer from hearing loss, with 400,000 of them right here in BC.

What makes this cause particularly meaningful is that Medicare only covers cochlear implants for babies, leaving countless families to fund these life-changing surgeries out of pocket or through employer benefits.

The Impact

Over the years, this event has enabled 770 life-changing surgeries.

One story that particularly moves me is that of Janelle Milne, whose mother called our club in 2001 seeking help. Today, she’s traveling the world and advancing her education – all because of that critical cochlear implant surgery.

She describes it as “like permanent AirPods where you have the on and off option of noise cancellation.” Without this surgery, her career and life trajectory would have been completely different.

Event Overview

The ride starts at 6 AM at Spanish Banks, featuring a 100 km route through iconic Vancouver locations like Stanley Park and Richmond.

We also offer a 7.5 km Family Ride for those wanting a more accessible experience.

The day concludes with entertainment, a beer garden, and family activities.

Key Takeaways

During my recent appearance on Rompost TV alongside event planner Ally R. Potel, several important points emerged:

• Safety First: All participants are tracked via timing chips, with trained medical staff patrolling the route.
• Growing Impact: What started with six riders raising $1,000 in 1985 now involves 200 riders and over 100 volunteers.
• Lasting Infrastructure: We’ve opened two hearing centers – at UBC Hospital and St. Paul’s Hospital.
• “Bringing Back the Sounds of Life”: This motto represents our core mission – helping people hear their dog bark, their mother laugh and cry – those precious moments every human should enjoy.

Video

Watch the full recap video on YouTube here.

Or watch it below: The interview is in English from 1m 57 seconds.

This Year’s Focus

I’ve stepped up to secure sponsorships and raise funds, aiming to make an even bigger impact than last year. The funds support not just cochlear implant surgeries but also hearing aids and essential research conducted at UBC.

Registration is open through our dedicated website, and I encourage anyone interested in supporting this cause to join us on July 14th.

Transcript

Adelina Suvagau: Hello Rohan and Ally, thank you for being part of our show. What are the primary logistical challenges you faced in planning the Rotary Ride for Hearing, and how did you address them?

Ally R. Potel: Thank you very much for having me today. So the logistical challenges. We have a lot of challenges with events in general, but because this is a ride, it is totally different. It is a public event, and we’re using all the bike lanes in Vancouver. So I would say that the biggest challenge is to coordinate everyone and to make sure that we have all the permits, you know, from the city, and also to make sure that everyone understands why they are riding for this cause.

Adelina Suvagau: What are the primary goals of the Rotary Ride for Hearing, and how do the funds raised contribute to achieving these goals?

Rohan Aurora: As many of you know, 20% of Canadians suffer from hearing loss. 400,000 of them are in BC. The primary goal of the Rotary Ride for Hearing is focusing on research, treatment, and care for B.C. residents. These funds support cochlear implant surgeries, hearing aids, and other essential hearing treatments. It gives people the ability to hear the sounds of life. Such an important cause. And that is the primary goal of Ride for Hearing.

Adelina Suvagau: Can you provide an overview of the event day, including the route and the key activities?

Ally R. Potel: Absolutely. So the ride will start pretty early. It starts at 6 a.m. in Vancouver at Spanish Banks. All the participants will gather in the parking lot of Spanish Banks, and then they will have a brief orientation about what’s going to happen during the day. The route is approximately 100 km, and they will ride through iconic locations including Stanley Park and Richmond. We also have a shorter route for people who have maybe less experience as riders or for families as well that we call the Family Ride. This ride would be around 7.5 km. They will ride alongside the beaches that we have here in Vancouver. Additionally, the key activities will include different entertainment. We have a beer garden at the end of the ride and a lot of games for the families.

Adelina Suvagau: How do the funds raised from this event support people with hearing loss?

Rohan Aurora: The funds raised from the Rotary Ride for Hearing are funding cochlear implant surgeries and all the necessary research that is done at UBC. This includes not only cochlear implant surgery but also hearing aids, which 400,000 residents in B.C. require. These are expensive surgeries and treatments. Not everyone can afford them. Medicare takes care of cochlear implants only when the child is a baby, and after that, it has to be through an employer or out of your own pocket. Such an important cause, and I’m so glad the Rotary Ride for Hearing is there to support B.C. residents.

Adelina Suvagau: How can individuals and teams register to participate in the ride? It’s very important. Will it happen on July 14th, right?

Ally R. Potel: Absolutely, it is on July 14th. Individuals and teams can register through our dedicated event website, Rotary Ride for Hearing, and the process is very streamlined to include form filling for personal details, team registration options, and they will be able to pay online directly.

Adelina Suvagau: And Rohan, can you share some success stories, examples from the past, and how previous events have made a difference in people’s lives?

Rohan Aurora: Over the years, the Rotary Ride for Hearing has enabled 770 life-changing surgeries. One of my favorite examples is of Janelle Milne. Janelle Milne, her mother, called in 2001 to our club asking for help, and today she’s traveling around the world. She’s getting her education after getting that critical cochlear implant surgery, so her life changed. She can hear the sounds of life. I got a chance to interview her recently, and she explains this cochlear implant as like permanent AirPods, where you have the on and off option of noise cancellation. Without this critical surgery, she wouldn’t have progressed that far in her career and life. These are stories that are impactful, and it leaves us with a profound and personal impact on all of us.

Adelina Suvagau: How do you ensure the safety and well-being of participants?

Ally R. Potel: Safety is our top priority. That’s what I said at the beginning as well, and we ensure that all participants are tracked via timing chips, and the route is also patrolled by trained medical staff. So we have emergency contact numbers that will be provided to all riders, and there’s a clear communication channel open with local emergency services throughout the event.

Adelina Suvagau: What inspired the statement “Bringing back the Sound for Life”?

Rohan Aurora: This is such an important cause for our club. Our club has been there for more than 110 years, and this sentence around “Bringing back the sounds of Life” came into fruition after Janelle’s story, where we could see firsthand what a profound impact this charity ride can have. It started off in 1985 with just six riders raising a thousand bucks. Now it has grown to 200 riders and more than 100 people volunteer from our club. So the sounds of hearing—think about this as hearing their dog bark, hearing your mother laugh and cry. These are precious moments, and I feel every human should enjoy these moments. And those who are unfortunate, clubs like the Rotary Club of Vancouver are there to support. There are a lot of partnerships that we have done. The main claim to fame for the Ride for Hearing is we opened two hearing centers, one at UBC Hospital and the other at St. Paul’s Hospital. With these partnerships, we are able to provide B.C. residents the sound for life.

Adelina Suvagau: Thank you so much for being our guest on Rompost TV. We can’t wait to see the event you are planning, which will be the Rotary Ride for Hearing on July 14th in Vancouver. Thank you so much, and we’ll see you on July 14th.

Shoutout to Nick Gray, Patron View, and his team for helping me build this site.