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In 2009, Sergeant Mark Farrer, a retired member of the Canadian Forces Military Police, coordinated the first of what was to become an annual event known as the Military Police National Motorcycle Relay Ride (MPNMRR). The vision was to unite riders from all across Canada to join in a ride from coast to coast, to promote awareness towards Canadian children who needed a voice in order to help them make a difference in the world today, while sharing that common bond which connects all motorcycle riders.
This Year
Lamont French, National President and the MPNMRR Committee are planning the annual ride in support of our two charities; The Military Police Fund for Blind Children and The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada, where all monies raised will be split between the two charities.
This year in the spirit of a cross county relay ride, we will travel from West to East (Comox, BC to St. John's, NL) with each province holding individual ride stages in order to maximize participation over the July - August 2012 period. Our friends in QC will be hosting a special "Labour Day Weekend Ride this year.
Military Police Fund for Blind Children
Moria "Plumsy" Stone, who was born in Salmon Arm, BC in 1949, was the catalyst for this charity after she was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a genetically linked cancer of the retina, while still a toddler. In 1957, her father, Col Jim Stone who was the Provost Marshal (Chief of Police) for the Military Police, had to deal with the fact that his little girl would have both eyes removed in order to treat the cancer. At that time, money was raised by simply passing a hat to help the blind children who were sent away from their families to a special school in Brantford, ON. Families were so poor, they could not afford to provide any extras for their children so the money raised was used to provide them with treats, and for some, a chance to come home for Christmas. After Plumsy passed away, the fundraising did not stop and, in 1977, the Military Police Fund for Blind Children (MPFBC) became the first only military charity in Canada. In October 1994, Col Jim Stone was awarded the Order of Canada for his efforts in founding the MPFBC. The MPFBC has contributed tens of millions of dollars in support to blind children through the years, providing for medical needs, equipment, training, guide dogs and recreational activities. The fund supports eight schools for blind children.
To this day, the MPFBC is run and managed by Military Police volunteers which enables it to use
100 % of the money raised to help newborn to 21 year old visually impaired children, everywhere in Canada.
The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada
Each year, thousands of Canadian children between the ages of 3 and 17 are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Since 1984, The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada has worked tirelessly to grant exceptional wishes to over 16,000 children and their families. This year, the Foundation expects to grant 1,000 new wishes and is proud to have never refused a wish to an eligible child and, with the help of volunteers and generous donors, is able to grant nearly three wishes every day. Each wish is an individual adventure, carefully structured to meet the needs of a particular child and family. The Foundation is a grassroots charity with chapters in every province and territory.
In 2009, the idea of police officers riding across Canada in order to show solidarity, support and raise money for charities was founded and the MPNMRR was born. Since 2009, the MPNMRR has raised close to $100,000 in support of charities across this great land of ours. Our goal this year is to continue supporting those who will be our future, the children of this great country we proudly call Canada. As such, this year's motto is:
U-ROCK – "United Riders Offering Children Kindness"
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