What is Powered By Community? 

On June 16th, 2008, Greg Mailloux and Vin Heney began their mission to bike across Canada from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. The guys will be biking for over 85 days to cover almost 8000 Kilometers. Powered By Community is what they have named this demanding journey of theirs.

Greg and Vin are trying to accomplish three main things through this:

1) Raise $80,000 (that is $10 for each KM they bike!) for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC). This foundation funds research in order to eventually find the cure for this disease.

2) Increase awareness of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), of which Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are the two most common forms. IBD affects several million people in the world, and unfortunately the amount keeps increasing. Canada has nearly 200,000 individuals diagnosed with IBD, making Canada the country with one of the highest prevalence's of this disease in the world. This ride across Canada will hopefully raise more awareness about IBD, in addition to the promotion of physical activity and sound ecological practices, both which are vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

3) Challenge themselves physically and mentally as well as inspire all of us to do the same.

Greg Mailloux Bio 

Greg was first diagnosed with Crohn's Disease when he was 15. Like many who do not want to come to grips with the disease, he filled his life with anything and everything to escape worrying about his disease. An emergency surgery at age 21 where he was told he was hours away from dying made Greg reevaluate how he handled his disease, and lead to a new diet, lifestyle and perspective on life. Greg has discussed the idea of this bike journey with Vin for over a year now, and now that he is doing it the awareness he is raising is motivating him to keep on going.
Read more about Greg here.

Vin Heney Bio 

Vin (like Greg) is 25 years old and has just completed a degree in International Development at Trent University. While Vin is neither affected by IBD or a professional biker, he is motivated to participate in this journey due to the pain and suffering he has seen close friends go through with such diseases and his desire to raise awareness on this issue, as well as those of a healthy diet, environment and lifestyle.
Read more about Vin here.

Powered By Community Blog 

Read the frequent updates by the guys!

Read all the updates at the Powered By Community Blog

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Powered By Community Route and Upcoming Events Schedule 

Will the guys be near your town?

How Can I Help/Learn More 

We are glad you asked!

1. Visit the official website and sign up for the newsletter: You can visit the official Powered By Community Website to learn more information about its mission and keep updated on all the latest happenings with the guys. You will also be able to subscribe by e-mail to the Powered By Community newsletter to get updates on the guys sent to you by e-mail
2. Join the facebook group: You can join the official facebook group of Powered By Community. Currently it has over 1,400 members and includes pictures and more information on the journey.
3. Donate to the cause!: Raising funds for the CCFC is an integral part of the Powered By Community mission, and this requires all of us to pitch in what we can to help raise funds for research to cure Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis. Please Donate here and help the guys with their goal of raising $80,000 ($10 per KM travelled). Donations are made on a secure server and require a Credit Card. Tax receipts can be requested.
4. Help the guys get the word out about their journey: As you are likely to agree with the central goals of Powered By Community, you can do your part to help by letting your friends and family know about this group and what they are trying to accomplish. If the guys are coming to your town, try to organize or attend an event and ensure the local media is aware of what the guys are doing. Alert those you know by including a website or e-mail banner to expand Powered By Community's awareness. Please also share the Powered By Community website (www.poweredbycommunity.org) with others so they can learn about it as well
5. Sponsor Powered By Community: Businesses still have the opportunity to sponsor the guys. In addition to being recognized as being a Powered By Community Sponsor, your logo will be seen on Greg and Vin and you will be mentioned as a sponsor at the 40+ events the guys will be attending throughout Canada. A sponsorship kit can be found here

Contact Us 

IBD Links and Resources 

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Summary

Introduction to IBD from Wikipedia

Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of Canada

The CCFC fundraises to fund research with the goal of curing Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America

The CCFA is the U.S.A's foundation that is also funding research to find a cure for Crohn's & Colitis

IBD Diet

Diet tips for those suffering from IBD

More IBD Diet Tips

Additional tips on diet for those suffering from IBD

Crohn's Disease Support Forum

Crohn's Forum is an online support community for those affected with or by any form of IBD. Check out their Squidoo lens here

Crohn's Forum Bookstore

Do all of your Amazon purchases through the Crohn's Forum Bookstore and have a portion of the revenue earned be donated to the CCFC!

Give your support to Greg and Vin 

The guys need all the support they can get, so feel free to show them your appreciation here!