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The Sun Life Ride to Defeat Diabetes for JDRF is a high-energy, virtual event combining team building and friendly competition among corporate Canada to raise funds towards a world without type 1 diabetes (T1D). Participants can choose to spin on a stationary bike, break a sweat at a fitness class or stretch with a yoga class. Join us and move for a cure!

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Although we have decided to host this year’s Sun Life Ride to Defeat Diabetes for JDRF virtually, we hope to transition back to in-person events in the future. We will continue to monitor and update you on the status of our 2021 events as more information becomes available. 

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Our commitment to finding a cure for T1D never ends. Now more than ever, we must continue our fundraising efforts to support the short and long-term needs of people living with T1D and their families.

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No. The Ride welcomes anyone of all fitness levels. You can set a pace that you are comfortable with in order to prevent health risks and injury.

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Thank you for being a volunteer for JDRF! While we rely heavily on volunteers to support our in-person events at this time the new event will not require volunteer support. However, as a long-standing member of our extended JDRF team we encourage you to participate and encourage your colleagues to participate at the Sun Life Ride to Defeat Diabetes for JDRF.

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All participants who raise $1,000 or more are considered VIP Riders and receive exclusive bonus fundraising rewards.

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JDRF’s Club 250 is open to all Riders! Every participant who reaches the suggested $250 fundraising level automatically joins JDRF’s Club 250 and illustrates their passion for finding a cure!

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Click on the register link at jdrfride.ca and follow the prompts to register yourself and your corporate team!

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It’s easy to get involved. Pick an activity that will get you moving at home: spin, sweat or stretch, ask your friends to support your activity with a donation, then participate virtually on October 22nd with colleagues and beat your corporate rivals with a little friendly competition. 

• Spin -  Hop on a stationary bike at home. Enjoy a fun 30-minute spinning class and beat your colleagues 
• Sweat - Break a sweat at a fitness class. Get a good workout and show your teammates who’s the boss  
• Stretch - Stretch your body with a yoga practice. Flex your muscles and clear your mind with these mindful movements

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You don’t have to be registered to donate. Simply go to jdrfride.ca and click the donate link! If you would like to fundraise to support JDRF or if you want to participate with your colleagues in one of our activities, you will need to register.

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It's a fun, high energy team element where teams of any size share a 30-minute activity virtually: spin, sweat or stretch, it's up to you!
 

Spin -  Hop on a stationary bike at home. Enjoy a fun spinning class and beat your colleagues 

Sweat - Break a sweat at a fitness class. Get a good workout and show your teammates who’s the boss  

Stretch - Stretch your body with a yoga practice. Flex your muscles and clear your mind with these mindful movements.  

When you register as a team you’ll be moving for a cure alongside your team mates. The event encourages team spirit and friendly competition among friends and colleagues with rides taking place in cities across Canada from September through November. 

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If you decide to Spin, you will need a stationary bike at home. For Sweat and Stretch activities, just bring your team spirit!

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There is no registration fee; however, as a key fundraising event for JDRF, teams taking part in the Team Ride are encouraged to raise a minimum suggested amount of $750 per team or $150 per individual. The average amount raised per team is $970.

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We’re confident that every participant can reach the $150 fundraising level, and are pleased to offer support and advice so you can exceed this target! Across Canada, the event is expected to raise $1.6 million to help support critical diabetes research. Those who reach or exceed the $150 amount will be eligible for fundraising rewards.

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While we encourage each participant to fundraise a minimum suggested amount of $150, we recognize that some teams will choose to fundraise as a team. The minimum suggested team fundraising amount is $750. Please note, however, that fundraising rewards are awarded based on pledged revenue raised by individual participants only (not team fundraising or corporate matched revenue).

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Fundraising rewards are awarded based on individual fundraising. For example, if a participant raises $150 and they are part of a team that raises an additional $600 in team fundraising activities such as bake sales, dress down days, etc., the participant is only entitled to receive fundraising rewards for the $150 raised as an individual.

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Participants who submit $150 or more are eligible to receive fundraising rewards as outlined on the pledge form or on the Ride website. There is one prize per participant and all funds must be submitted on Ride day or within three weeks of event day.

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Appoint a Team Captain, recruit five or more colleagues or friends and register. Posters, pledge forms and all the material that you need are available from JDRF.

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The full event will run for 1 hour.

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No. Our three activities are welcome for all fitness levels.You need to set a pace that you are comfortable with; otherwise it could present a health risk.

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We encourage teams to be of 5 or more people. Every member of the team should raise funds.

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No, you don’t have to register your whole team. If you do choose to, you will have to logout of the system and then register as a team member for each participant. Team members will receive an email confirming registration. They will then have access to fundraise online.

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If you have questions, please refer to the FAQs online or you can call us at 1.877.505.5373 or email us at ride@jdrf.ca.

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The Individual Ride is an hour-long spin, sweat or stretch challenge that allows you to go further and compete against like-minded individuals across Canada. Although you won’t be part of a team you will still be able to challenge yourself and move for a cure with other participants virtually.

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There is no registration fee; however each participant taking part in the Individual Ride element has a minimum suggested fundraising amount of $150. Participants are encouraged to show their resolve and aim to raise $150 or more!

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We’re confident that every participant can reach the $150 fundraising level, and are pleased to offer support and advice so you can exceed this target! Those who reach or exceed the $150 amount will be eligible for fundraising rewards for their achievement.

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Simply register online and set your fundraising goal. Pledge forms, online fundraising resources and coaching are all available from JDRF to support you along the way.

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The full event will run for 1 hour.

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No. Our three activities are welcome for all fitness levels. You need to set a pace that you are comfortable with; otherwise it could present a health risk.

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If you have questions, please refer to the FAQs online or you can call the National Participant Experience Representative at 1.877.505.5373, or email us at ride@jdrf.ca.

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Yes, thank you for your fundraising efforts for JDRF! All dollars raised to date will qualify for the rewards program. You can find out more here. 

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Yes! Both teams and individuals can register and fundraise.

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Sun Life Ride to Defeat Diabetes for JDRF fundraising rewards are entirely paperless! After your donations have been processed, you will receive an email with instructions on how to redeem your e-gift card after the event is complete. We are still working on the fundraising rewards program for the Ride which will be announced once confirmed.

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When you reach out to family and friends to support your fundraising efforts, being sensitive to what other people are feeling or experiencing right now is important. Share your connection to this event or to the cause (if you have an experience with type 1 diabetes, share it was well), so people understand why this is so important to you. Emphasize the need for donations to keep research moving forward and encourage people to give what they can.

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Check out our Fundraising rewards page to learn more about our fundraising levels.

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A PDF version of the pledge form is available to download and print in the Participant Centre. 

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1. Login to your account to access the Participant Centre.  
2. Follow the steps to Launch Your Fundraising Campaign and access fundraising email templates. 
3. Click on the Get Social tab to connect to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Linkedin to create auto-posts and increase donations.
4. Use the Follow-Ups tab to help target your communication for best fundraising results. 

A: Our online system is a secure site and fundraising online is the most cost-effective way to raise money in support of the Sun Life Ride to Defeat Diabetes for JDRF.

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There are two ways to view who sponsored you online:   

1. Go to your Fundraising Page and follow your honour scroll; or 
2. Log in and click on the Donation History tab in the Participant Centre 

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Absolutely, you can donate online or contact your local JDRF office.

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No, but you might want to! The Sun Life Ride to Defeat Diabetes for JDRF is a 1-hour live stream event where you’ll be able to engage in the activity you chose with live instructors. It will bring participants from all roles and sectors across corporate Canada into the same virtual space to challenge themselves, build camaraderie, partake in some friendly competition and work towards the same goal of ending T1D. You can tune in when you’d like for as long as you’d like.  You won’t want to miss it!

A: There is no minimum age to participate but we recommend those 16 and under to get parental permission before registering. 

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If you decide to Spin, you will need a stationary bike at home. For Sweat and Stretch activities, just bring your team spirit!

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We encourage all team members to join us as we move for a cure and rally to turn type one into type none. However, we understand not all team members are able to participate on the day. All fundraising will go towards our efforts to accelerate type 1 diabetes research. 

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No, JDRF will not be supplying bikes for this year’s Ride*. We have added the stretch and sweat sessions to our program so that the event is accessible no matter your location or access to fitness equipment.

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As COVID-19 continues to be a risk to Canadians across the country, JDRF is not able to support physical events for the remainder of 2020. The health and safety of our staff and participants remains our primary concern. 

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JDRF will not be supporting or promoting in-person gatherings for the remainder of 2020. Should your team make the personal decision to gather together to participate in this year’s Ride, we encourage you to be keenly aware of your local health and safety guidelines, and follow social distancing recommendations in your community.

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If you have any questions, you may: 

• Contact your local JDRF office
• Call the National Participant, Experience Representative at 1.877.505.5373 
• Email us at ride@jdrf.ca 

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To determine the closest JDRF office in your area, please click here. Please note, all JDRF staff are currently working from home due to COVID-19. Please reach out to your local JDRF staff via email.

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Online tax receipts will be issued immediately for all amounts to the email address provided during the online donation process. 

Offline tax receipts will be issued within six to 10 weeks after the event for donations of $20 or more. In order to receive a tax receipt, the donor's name and address must be completed and legible. Tax receipts for credit card donations will be issued in the name of the cardholder. Corporate or company donations must include a contact name to direct the tax receipt to. 

 

Please contact ride@jdrf.ca. 

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For additional tax receipts, requests for reprints and/or corrections, please contact ride@jdrf.ca or your local JDRF office.

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Electronic tax receipts are sent in PDF format. If you do not have Adobe Reader, you will not be able to open the attachment. You can download a free copy of Adobe Reader here. If you are still unable to open a tax receipt, please email ride@jdrf.ca.

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Fundraising rewards are awarded based on individual fundraising. For example, if a participant raises $250 and they are part of a team that raises an additional $500 in team fundraising activities such as bake sales, dress down days, etc., the participant is only entitled to receive fundraising rewards for the $250 raised as an individual.

A: JDRF pays for all fundraising rewards. To help JDRF direct more funds to research, participants can donate their prize back to JDRF. JDRF negotiates discounts on purchased prizes nationally.

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We encourage participants to submit their pledges to the best of their ability on Ride day. Funds can be submitted up to three weeks after Ride day to qualify for fundraising rewards. Should this situation arise please contact your local JDRF office. We will be taking donations up until December 31st 2020. 

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Yes. Participants that qualify for an e-gift card will have the option to donate their e-gift card back to JDRF and direct more funds for research. To donate your e-gift card back, please send an email to fundraisingrewards@jdrf.ca. You will be emailed your tax receipt within six to 10 weeks post-event day. Thank you for your donation!

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Thank you for your outstanding fundraising. Individuals are awarded a maximum of $500 in e-gift cards.

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Absolutely. You are welcome to share your fundraising rewards with your team if you wish.