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An Aylesford man is planning what could be his last epic snowmobile journey to pay homage to the memory of a great friend while raising awareness and funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

This will be the third winter Ray Savage has done the event in memory of John Forbes. Savage said that over the past year, “the jury was out” on whether he’d do another fundraiser, but he has decided to do at least one more.

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Although the trip is a fundraiser for the foundation, Savage said perhaps the greater purpose is to raise awareness. Forbes passed away in September 2022 after experiencing what he thought were COVID-19 symptoms. It turned out to be a heart problem he was unaware of.

Savage, who is originally from Riverview, N.B., was friends with Forbes since they were about 13 years old. During the last decade of Forbes’s life, they probably logged well over 10,000 miles together on New Brunswick snowmobile trails.

He said doing the trips brings great memories of Forbes to the forefront, especially when he’s snowmobiling where they used to ride together, or he reaches one of their favourite destinations or places to stop.

“It certainly keeps his memory alive,” Savage said. “We always had great laughs, and I miss the laughs with John.”

Raising awareness

Savage said he has another friend who he almost lost to a recent stroke, and more people he knows are experiencing cardiac issues, so raising awareness is his main objective. He will once again be distributing information from the foundation, this time focusing on prevention and recognizing the signs of a stroke or cardiac event before it’s too late.

Savage is now semi-retired, so he plans to take more time and devote the month of February to the initiative. This will give him more flexibility in case Mother Nature isn’t co-operative. Having done it during a two-week window the first couple of years, he encountered rain or terrain without snow that prevented him from going everywhere he had planned.

He said the trip is quite an undertaking in terms of logistics, but it’s for a very good cause. Savage plans to snowmobile between 1,500 and 2,000 miles across Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, maybe more depending on conditions. He hopes he’ll be able to cross the border between the two provinces by snowmobile for the first time.

“It just happened the last two years that the snow hasn’t been good enough for it, so this year I’ve got my fingers crossed,” Savage said.

Last year, he came down sick during the ride and ended up losing his voice, which made it more difficult to share his message. This is another reason why he wants to give it more time this year, so he can take a couple of days off to rest if something similar were to happen or if other unforeseen circumstances arise. He said having more time to enjoy the trip should also make the experience more fun.

Savage said he’s setting his fundraising goal at $5,000. As in the past, there will soon be an online fundraising page set up on the foundation’s website where people can donate. If he reaches this goal, that will bring the amount he has raised during the three years to about $15,000.

Savage said he doesn’t have a sponsor providing a snowmobile or fuel like he did last year. However, he made the trek the first year without sponsorship and he has a reliable Yamaha Apex sled he plans to use.

‘Inspired’ by efforts

Katie Greene, the foundation’s senior vice-president for Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and P.E.I., said heart disease and stroke is the second leading cause of death in Canada. It is important to raise awareness around heart disease and stroke and preventative measures people can take to protect their heart and brain health.

Greene said the foundation is incredibly grateful to Savage for choosing to raise funds for it for the third year in a row. She said officials “continue to be inspired” by his efforts and his “remarkable fundraising journey” will help raise awareness of heart disease and stroke.

Greene said Savage’s efforts are crucial in starting conversations about risk factors and preventative measures . By supporting fundraisers like this, people can make a significant impact in the fight to beat heart disease and stroke.

“His remarkable efforts not only honour the memory of his friend but also make a significant impact in the lives of others by helping fund life-saving research and advocacy efforts that will improve diagnosis, care, and support for all people in Canada living with heart disease and stroke,” Greene said.

Savage’s efforts to raise awareness are aimed at members of the snowmobiling community, which includes many middle-aged men. Greene said that like everyone, it’s critical for men to take care of their heart health.

“While there are many different forms of heart disease, the risk factors for these conditions are often very similar,” she said.

Know the risks

Greene said nine out of 10 Canadians have at least one risk factor for heart disease and stroke, which include lifestyle factors such as high stress levels, smoking, alcohol consumption, a diet lacking in a variety of healthy foods and a lack of physical activity. She said that while both men and women can have similar lifestyle risk factors, men are more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, and eat fewer fruits and vegetables than women.

Greene said 80 per cent of premature heart disease and stroke cases can be prevented through healthy lifestyle behaviours such as eating healthy, being active, and living smoke-free.

“Prevention starts with knowing your risk and with the help of fundraisers like Ray, we can start a conversation within our communities about the risk factors of heart disease and stroke and the signs and symptoms and what to do if you or someone you love thinks you’re experiencing a cardiac event or stroke,” she said.

Greene said support from donors is the fuel that drives the foundation’s mission. Money raised through initiatives like Savage’s snowmobile journey fund critical advances in preventing heart disease and stroke.

This helps saves lives and enhances recovery by supporting life-saving heart and brain research; advocacy efforts such as raising awareness of the FAST signs of stroke; and advocating for healthier polices and health promotion programs across Canada.

FAST

The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada wants the public to know the signs of a stroke. The foundation launched the FAST campaign in 2014 as a way to help Canadians recognize and remember the most common signs and action to take.

F – Face, is it drooping?

A – Arms, can you raise both?

S – Speech, is it slurred or jumbled?

Go online

To donate or to learn more about where every dollar donated to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada goes, visit the foundation’s website .

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