Félix Jasmin translated his lifelong love of canoeing and the outdoors into an ambitious fundraising challenge, one that has raised over half a million dollars to fight multiple sclerosis.
Félix, who was diagnosed with MS in 2019, led a team of supporters on a cross-country portaging trip, carrying a full-length canoe 740 kilometers from Toronto to Montreal, a journey that took 18 days.
With the help of his wife, Meg Flynn, Jasmin carried the canoe 13 kilometers a day before passing it off to friends or family. They left Toronto on Sept. 30 and arrived in Montreal on Oct. 18, where they arrived at The Neuro at 7 a.m. with a police escort and a crowd of cheering supporters.
The funds raised will go to MS research at the lab of Dr. Jack Antel at The Neuro and Dr. Alexandre Prat at the CHUM. Félix took on the cause after being diagnosed with MS in 2019.
This is the second year of fundraising for Félix. Last year he held a virtual event which raised $380,000.
“I am swamped with love,” he told the Toronto Star. “If this love and happiness was a cure to MS, I would definitely be healed by now.”
To learn more about his fundraiser and to contribute, visit Le Grand Portage.
