October 1, 2025 - On your Mark, Get Set, Go!

Welcome to another year of the Tour de Elora! Let me introduce myself - my name is Gillian Alton and the founder of the Tour de Elora. I am really excited for this year’s Tour de Elora. Every year we try to make it bigger and better than the year before, and this year is no exception. Let me please introduce you to the new and improved Tour de Courage blog. During the month of October I will be sharing some stories of my journey over the past 10 years since being diagnosed with breast cancer, as well as some amazing stories from other patients, families and health care providers all dealing with cancer every day. 

We start this year’s fundraiser off with a bang! The CW 100 Women Who Care have donated $12,700 to the Tour de Elora exceeding our $10,000 fundraising goal. They presented the cheque at the Tour de Elora Kickoff this past weekend. This year’s 10 for 10 - where we aim to log 10,000 KM and raise $10,000 for the WRHN Cancer Centre has just levelled up to the 20 for 20 - 20,000 KM and $20,000! 

To be honest, starting here on day 1 with this massive goal in front of me makes me nervous - 20,000 KM seems like a daunting goal. It reminds me a bit of starting cancer treatments. Standing at the starting line of treatment seemed like a daunting task, and I am not going to lie, I wasn’t sure I would make it to the finish line. Now, 10 years later, I am looking back and realizing I wasn’t at that starting line alone. I had my family, friends and community standing beside me, just as we do with the Tour de Elora. Please join together to surround those dealing with cancer, cancer survivors who are finding their way post cancer treatments, and friends and family of patients who lost their lives to cancer. We stand with you!