On May 29, 25 employees from Cimpl gathered together to ride the Big Bike and support the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The goal: raise money for heart disease research, and ride a huge 29-seat bike for 20 minutes, while making as much noise as possible! We are proud to announce that we have achieved to raise $3,600 to help research!
That day, the rain was with us, but we were lucky; it stopped just before we started riding the bike. Luck was with us for this tenth edition that turned out to be a huge success!
We would like to thank all the employees who participated and all those who made a donation. Thanks to you, research on heart disease continues to make progress.
Why the Big Bike?
First of all, this cause has a very important meaning for Cimpl. Indeed, in 2010, one of our colleagues suffered from a cardiovascular accident at work and passed away the same night, leaving the entire company in great shock. Since this tragic accident, Cimpl has been participating yearly in the Big Bike to support research on heart disease, in the hope of reducing the number of accidents of this kind.
More broadly, this initiative falls right within the scope of our company culture. Helping each other and having fun while supporting a good cause is one of the many things we love to do! After riding the Big Bike, employees had a big smile on their faces and a great sense of accomplishment.
Some shocking stats
Unfortunately, heart disease is the second leading cause of death in Canada. Moreover, 9 out of 10 Canadians over the age of 20 have at least one risk factor associated to heart disease, and 4 out of 10 have three or more.
Risk factors include: irregular blood pressure, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, high cholesterol, and much more. The first step in identifying those risks is to consult a doctor and then take appropriate preventive measures.
Adopting healthy habits
Knowing that 8 out of 10 heart diseases could be avoided by adopting a healthy lifestyle, it’s worth the effort. Here are some healthy lifestyle habits that are easy to adopt and help prevent heart disease:
- Avoid smoking
- Exercise (aim for 30 minutes of moderate activity per day)
- Develop healthy eating habits
- Achieve and maintain a healthy weight
- Learn to cope with stress in healthy ways
These little habits may seem simple, but they also help save lives. Don’t wait for a tragedy to happen to live a healthy life and join the movement!
You can always visit the Heart and Stroke Foundation website for more information or to make a donation.