Qualico employees ride to raise funds for the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation

Winnipeg, MB – Employees from Qualico’s corporate Winnipeg team put in maximum effort while participating in this year’s Ride Inside fundraiser for the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation, held on Nov. 21. Qualico was also a sponsor for the event, which raises funds to help support kids and young people in Manitoba who are living with cancer.

The event raised more than $427,000 and counting, which includes funds raised by the Qualico team and the $5,000 Qualico donated as a sponsor.

Mac Macatula, Accountant, Qualico Corporate Winnipeg, was Qualico’s team leader for the event and said his interest in participating was partly due to the powerful words the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation shared: “Every year approximately 60 families in Manitoba hear the words, ‘Your child has cancer.’”

“That stuck with me,” said Mac. “After becoming an uncle last year to my beautiful niece, Nina, I can’t imagine hearing those words. I am grateful for her health. I knew I wanted to do whatever I could to help others.”

During the event, teams were made up of six riders who each rode a stationary bike for 10 minutes. Accumulatively, the team cycled an impressive 24.61 kilometers. Mac said the team did a lot of preparation ahead of time, training on stationary bikes and doing a lot of stretching. He described the experience of participating in the event as surreal.

“There was a sense of belonging to something bigger than yourself,” he said. “Once that timer started, you felt a sudden rush to pedal as fast as you could. It was like everyone had someone in mind they wanted to do it for. I think we all know someone in our lives who has been affected by cancer.”

A particularly memorable moment for Mac was hearing the touching story of Javi, a two-year-old who was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia, during the opening speech. Learning about the support that CancerCare Manitoba provided to Javi and his parents strengthened the team’s connection to the cause and inspired an even greater commitment to making a difference.  

Anders Giesbrecht, Communications & Marketing Specialist, Qualico Corporate Winnipeg, was also part of the team at the event and said it was a rewarding experience.

“It was fun cycling, cheering on teammates, and helping raise funds for a great and incredibly important organization,” said Anders.

Participants and those who came to support the team represented several different departments at Qualico, according to Mac.

“It showed that it doesn’t matter what you do for work – when it comes to getting together for a good cause, we’re all on the same team,” he said. “We’re not just building homes, we’re building memories. I’m confident that everyone at the event will remember how Team Qualico brought the vibes and energy.”