The goal of this nationwide event (satellite Rides scheduled for Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta, and Newfoundland), is to raise funds for humanitarian projects in Afghanistan.
Boomer’s Legacy was started in memory of Corporal Andrew Eykelenboom, a Canadian Army medic killed in Afghanistan in 2006. Andrew had been keen to help the children of Afghanistan, who he met while out on patrol. He wrote “Mom, even the street people in Canada have more than anyone in the village I was just in”.
To honour her son, and all the fallen soldiers, Maureen Eykelenboom founded Boomer’s Legacy. The foundation also builds awareness of our soldiers’ efforts for those in need. To date, a fund of over $680,000 has been raised and, through the efforts of our Canadian soldiers, used to purchase shoes for orphans and science books for schools. It has replaced a herd of sheep killed by the Taliban so that a farmer could once again support his family. It provided medical supplies to villages and treated many children whose medical conditions would otherwise have been fatal simply because their families lacked the means and access to adequate medical care. Boomer’s Legacy, through our soldiers, continues to fund essential surgeries for children, assist in midwife training, and support athletic programs for the youth.
The Fund extends beyond Afghanistan – most recently, the Fund assisted children and women in Kosovo at an orphanage and women’s shelter. Please visit Boomer’s Legacy website for more information. www.boomerslegacy.ca
The bikes throughout the Ride will display the name and photograph of each of our fallen soldiers. Through this memorable event on June 15th, we will help people wherever our soldiers are deployed, and in so doing, honour our soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice.