You may have seen them riding a 30-seat-bike in downtown Montreal, adorned with smiling faces and equipped with water guns. Some 800 participants of Pedal for Kids were celebrating their respective fundraising efforts, which collectively raised $400,000.

Throughout the week, come rain or shine, 26 teams – mostly from the corporate sector – took to the streets of downtown Montreal to raise funds for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The NICU, which accounts for a third of the Children’s beds, is home to the tiniest and sickest babies in Quebec, like Milo, this year's spokeschild.

"When you see your baby turn blue because his heart rate drops, those few minutes of trying to bring him back feels like a lifetime. You feel totally useless as the room fills up with professionals trying to save your baby."

Milo was born premature and spent one-third of his first year in the NICU. His parents Anissa and Muqeet are eternally grateful to all those who fundraised at Pedal for Kids. Their first premature child Zayn also benefited from expert treatment at the NICU at the Children’s in 2016, making Anissa and Muqeet the Pedal for Kids spokesfamily for the second time around this year. “Being at Pedal for Kids made us feel like we were not alone. There were so many people helping and supporting us. It felt like a whole community had our backs,” explains Muqeet. “The participants have no idea how much their support meant to us.”

Thank you to our 2018 teams! Your enthusiasm and all of your efforts will help transform the lives of numerous families like Milo's.