Cassie + Friends Society

06/19/2026

1,600 km from home.
She made it.

For 25,000 kids living with juvenile arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. For families who travel too far for care. For kids who can’t wait.

Welcome to the Stollery, Kira. 🙌

$81,082 is now on its way to changing what care looks like for kids and families across Canada.

The ride is done. The work continues. 💚

06/17/2026

What an incredible day in Ottawa💚

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Team Cassie + Friends Ottawa Run/Walk. Together, our community came together in support of children living with juvenile arthritis (JA), juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), and other childhood rheumatic diseases.

Because of you, we raised an amazing $16,323.60 to help fund family support programs, education, advocacy, and research that improves the lives of children and families in Ottawa, and across Canada.

Days like this bring our mission to life. They create opportunities for families to connect, find support, and experience the joy of being part of a community that understands their journey. 💚

A very special thank you to the incredible people and organizations who helped bring the day to life:

📸 Howard Sandler Photography Howard Sandler and Betty Ann Cochrane — for once again volunteering photography services and capturing the moments that mean so much to our families.

🕷️ Fairytale Princess Parties — for arranging a special visit from Spider-Man! Your kindness helped create unforgettable memories for families.

🎵 hot899 — for bringing the energy, music, and interviews that made the event atmosphere so fun and welcoming.

🔥 Ottawa Fire Services | Incendies Ottawa – we were so grateful for the incredible fire truck tour! Thank you for adding so much excitement to the day.

🎁 Thank you to our generous prize and in-kind sponsors for making the day extra special:
Sing House Studios National Gallery of Canada ✨🍪STUFFED Cookies By Kat 🍪✨ Clocktower Brew Pub Cosmic Adventures Costco Atlético Ottawa KidsCanSwim Ottawa 67's Alex Henniffent and Mighty Mango.
We were grateful to be joined by Dr. Luca and Nurse Cindy from CHEO – thank you for everything you do for families in the community. It meant so much to have you there with us!

💙 And finally, a huge thank you to our amazing volunteers — from our event organizers and day-of support team to our face painters and Mateja for capturing additional photos.

Thank you for standing alongside children and families affected by juvenile arthritis and other childhood rheumatic diseases. We are so grateful for this community 💚

06/17/2026

From the steps of Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife to the doors of the Stollery in Edmonton—Kira has completed her journey.

Eleven days of grit, headwinds, and fierce determination to prove a point: no child should have to ride 1,600 kilometres to reach a specialist who can diagnose and treat their disease. In the Northwest Territories, there is no pediatric rheumatologist at all. For kids like Kira, care has meant emergency medevacs, weeks from home, and too often years of waiting for an answer.

In the finish-line photos you can see the relief, the tears, and the families who showed up—some meeting another young person who gets it for the very first time. A whole community saying: we see you, and you are not alone.

25,000+ Canadian kids live with juvenile arthritis and other rheumatic diseases, and four in five Canadians don't know these diseases exist. Kira rode to change that—because a 1,600 km "care-mmute" shouldn't be regular life for any northern family.

The finish line was just the beginning. And right now, your gift goes twice as far: as a 2026 charity partner of Rogers Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink, every donation made by August 31 is matched.

Your gift funds the programs families actually reach for—Family Navigation, Injection Support Kits, emergency funds, and peer connection for kids navigating a rheumatic disease far from care.

💛 Donate & double it: link in bio
💬 Share your story: Made the long care-mmute for your child? Tell us in the comments!
🔁 Keep it moving: share this post!

Because kids can't wait for equitable access to care.

https://s2sride.ca

06/17/2026

Very proud to have the and Kira Young's incredible journey recognised by Lesa Semmler Mla, Minister of Health and Social Services for the Government of the Northwest Territories

06/16/2026

06/15/2026

While Kira is out there today tackling her final 100 kilometres, we want to look back at the partners who made this entire journey possible.

Our Ride Champions:
🌟 Nicola Wealth
🌟 Shah Family Foundation
🌟
🌟 Keystone Environmental

These organizations stepped up. They understood that and that a child’s postal code should never dictate their access to care.

By helping us launch this ride for closer care, they’ve helped us bridge the massive 1,600-kilometre gap for northern and remote families. They didn't just support a bike ride; they committed to the idea that every child deserves the same level of care, no matter where they live.

To our champions—thank you for being the foundation of this journey and for believing in closer care.

06/15/2026

The home stretch is finally here. 1,600 kilometres later, Kira is officially on her last 100km today, with the finish line at the Stollery Children’s Hospital appearing on the horizon.

As Kira pushes through these final kilometres, we are so proud to have Cornerstone Group of Companies as today's Community Milestone Partner. For a team of engineering specialists who recently expanded their own footprint from Calgary to Edmonton, supporting this journey is about more than just a partnership—it’s about being present for the moments that define a community.

Having the Cornerstone team ready and waiting to cheer Kira into the Stollery isn’t just corporate sponsorship; it is true corporate citizenship. It’s a testament to what it means to show up when it matters most.

To the entire team at Cornerstone Group—thank you for anchoring this massive milestone and for standing with us on the frontline of child health as we count down these final kilometres. 🙏💛

06/15/2026

Life with juvenile idiopathic arthritis doesn’t just happen in clinic rooms, it happens in the hours in between. 💙

It’s the missed school days.
The restless nights when pain makes sleep difficult.
The constant mental load of managing care, medications, insurance, and appointments.

Too often, these realities are invisible in the data that shapes healthcare decisions. 🏥

That’s why Cassie + Friends partnered with researchers at the University of Calgary on the PAVE study — a national survey designed to better understand the real-life impact of JIA.

This study was co-designed with young adults living with JIA and parents of children with JIA, who helped identify what matters most in everyday life, from school and work to mental health, finances, and beyond.

By hearing directly from families across Canada, the goal is to better understand lived experiences and help guide better care, policies, and support.

If you’re 18+ living with JIA, or a parent/caregiver of a child with JIA, you may be eligible.

⏱️ 20–30 minutes
🎁 Optional draw for 1 of 5 $75 Indigo gift cards

Take part at www.cassieandfriends.ca/PAVE (link in our bio). 🔗

This study has been approved by the University of Calgary Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board (REB22-0675).

06/15/2026

It was a rainy, windy, and hot 164km day into Westlock. With over 1430km biked in the last 9 days and just 100km left to go, feeling energized for the last push of Stanton to the Stollery into Edmonton tomorrow!

06/14/2026

One day from the finish. One day from the Stollery. 💛

As Kira gears up for her very last day on the road, the finish line is finally in sight. It is a beautiful, overwhelming moment, but before we take those final pedal strokes into Edmonton, we want to pause and say a massive thank you to Shah Family Foundation.

As a true Ride Champion, their commitment to supporting families and fighting for health equity reflects exactly why we do this work. No matter where a child lives, they deserve access to the care, resources, and community they need to thrive.

This journey from Yellowknife has been long, but it was paved by the generosity of partners who truly care. To The Shah Family Foundation—you didn't just support a 1,600-kilometre ride. You made this entire mission possible. You are helping us change futures, and we are so incredibly grateful for your belief that .

Let’s help Kira finish strong! Show your support for Kira’s final stretch and the Shah Family’s incredible impact below. ⬇️
🔗 www.s2sride.ca