Please consider joining our nationwide team and donating (minimum $25.00) to our team page. It’s as easy as that!
On our red logo there are 120 yellow dashes. Each dash represents approximately 192 kms. As a team, we need to rely on, encourage and support each other to complete all 120 dashes. Our goal is to travel the distance of the perimeter of Canada in 31 days spreading awareness, promoting hope, and raising $23,000 to fight childhood cancer, and support families. It can be as simple as keeping track of walking around your own neighbourhood in the month of August, accumulating kms, which will truly make a difference! Yes, it's that simple...if you don't want to, you don't have to leave your own neighbourhood! Or for that matter, if you're a swimmer, you don't even have to leave your backyard pool! 😊
The categories are Feet, Wheels and Hours. Walking, running and hiking fall under the ‘Feet’ category, bikes and rollerblades under the ‘Wheels’ and yoga and swimming under the ‘Hours’ category. The team goal would be 230 hours.
What do I need from you? For you to choose Feet, Wheels and/or Hours and then, move. Walk, run, bike or rollerblade as many kms as you can during the month of August. And/or accumulate hours doing yoga or swimming. Then please write me at mike.duhacek@haltonpolice.ca as often as you can so I can update the master spreadsheet with all of the up to date information.
This event is open to everyone and anyone that wants to join. I will tally all members that join, what discipline(s) everyone chooses, and all distances travelled and money raised. Every step, peddle, stride, stroke or pose you make, makes an incredible difference to the ones that need it most. Which of course, is our youngest cancer warriors and their families.
You can join the team as your Police Service, a team from your family, or a team of friends. Or if you do your best work individually, show us what you can do! Ask your connections (family, friends, co-workers, neighbours) to support your (our) efforts and follow and donate to this worthy cause.
If you join this team, I will promise you this. I will support you, turn myself inside out and provide every ounce of energy I have to this event. I would love to team up with you and accomplish something that has never been attempted. Please consider being a part of it. We can make a difference.
LET’S GOOOO!!
Thank you,
Mike
The "Double Up" Event
Helpmeburycancer Cops For Cancer "Double Up" Event
In the dead of winter, beginning February 4th, 2023 (World Cancer Day) at 7:00 a.m. Mike Duhacek the newly appointed 2023 Canadian Ambassador of Cops for Cancer will pull a heavy snowmobile sled over 200 kilometers from Georgian Bay to Lake Ontario, to raise funds and awareness for the Canadian Cancer Society, battling whatever the elements throw at him. His sled will be carrying the six letters from the word CANCER, made of wood cut from a large pine tree.
This sled pull is to raise funds for cancer research. The event is about hope, cancer awareness and to show cancer patients and their families that we’re out there fighting for them. It’s about inspiration. 10 years ago beginning on February 4th, Mike pulled a 125lb sled across Ontario and dedicated the walk to his mom who at the time was battling a rare early stage 4 cancer. Today, his mom is a pillar of strength working behind the scenes on this Double Up Event. Please donate using the button above, or get involved and team up with Mike by creating your own team under the helpmeburycancer umbrella, by “doubling up” while he’s on the road. Example, if you exercise an hour a day, double that. If you climb five flights of stairs a day, double it to ten…If you walk 2,000 steps a day, double it to 4,000! Ask your friends and connections to donate to our double up initiative.
Join the Helpmeburycancer team and help make a difference. Please follow the event on helpmeburycancer.com, where you’ll also find links to his social media pages. Please take a moment and share. Mike will be posting a nightly blog with pictures and videos. He will also be wearing a tracker so you can log on and see where he is at any time.
About Mike
Mike Duhacek is the founder of helpmeburycancer, an initiative to raise awareness and funds as well as promoting hope for the Canadian Cancer Society. He embarked on a solo trek while pulling a 125 pound sled across Ontario, Canada, in 2013. He launched this mission in support of his mother, who was in the battle of her life with a rare form of cancer. He had also lost both of his grandparents to this disease, so the drive to do something about it was inescapable. Beginning on World Cancer Day 2023, Mike set out on another trek, this time pulling a 212 pound snowmobile sled over 208 kilometres in support of the Cops for Cancer movement for which he was named the 2023 Canadian Ambassador.
Mike is the proud recipient of numerous awards and honours including the Canadian Cancer Society Award of Extraordinary Achievement and Outstanding Support, Halton Regional Police award of Excellence in Community Support, the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award (Sovereign's Medal) and the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Mike is a loving husband and father who has been a Halton Regional Police employee for over 20 years. He grew up playing hockey in southern Ontario and is a lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan. Mike is a true believer that when you have determination and a no-quit attitude, you truly can move mountains.
"If you want something bad enough, find your focal point and go get it."
-Mike Duhacek
OVERVIEW
Mike Duhacek embarked on a walk of approximately 1,000,000 steps across the province of Ontario, from Windsor to Ottawa, in the coldest month of the year, in February 2013. He pulled a 125 pound sled behind him with the word CANCER on it, to raise awareness and funds for the Canadian Cancer Society, through a self-created initiative called helpmeburycancer. He planned to take more than 10 steps for each of the 75,700 Canadians that die of cancer each year.
During his walk, he was touched by the many stories people shared along the way. He felt the kindness and generosity of his fellow Canadians, and he raised over $43,000.00 for the Canadian Cancer Society.
Mike wrote a book about his story of why he did it, the struggles he encountered along the way, his unwavering love for his family, and one ordinary man’s determination to do his part to help eradicate this disease.
After his walk was complete, Mike was honoured to share his story and raise awareness at various Cancer Society events, schools, and corporate functions.
Beginning on World Cancer day (Feb 4) 2023, Mike set out on another journey pulling a 212 pound snowmobile sled over 208 kilometers from Owen Sound to Oakville Ontario. On the sled was a large block that ran the length of it, with six cut pine tree discs attached to each side of the block spelling out cancer. When Mike arrived at the burial site at Halton Regional Police Headquarters, he buried the block in the ground as a symbolic action to where C.A.N.C.E.R belongs and in full support of anyone affected by this miserable disease. Mike connected with thousands along his route and told them they’re not alone and to show that we’re out there fighting for them. Mike would engage in conversation, hear their stories and offer support wherever he could.
Book
Excerpt
Lying in bed, most of the night I just stared at the ceiling. I just couldn’t sleep. I had to give up the idea that it was the small bed in the support vehicle that had caused sleepless nights before. The light started to shine behind the curtains. It took me about 20 minutes to sit up and work my way over to the window. I actually crawled across the carpet that morning. I grabbed both sides of the curtains and opened it like tearing off a band aid. I knew I was going to see snow but to this day I don’t remember ever seeing that amount in one snowfall. Cars and trucks completely snowed in and no traffic out on the road. Ed said he was heading down to start clearing off our ride. I had told everyone that I wanted snow on my trek. But a year’s amount in one night? This was going to be a day to remember.
AVAILABLE AT
A portion of all proceeds from this book will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Pictures & Videos
Pre-Walk Training Video
Windsor School Support Video
Isolated Roads
Difficult Hill Climb
Acknowledgments
Awards
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Canadian Cancer Society Award of Extraordinary Achievement and Outstanding Support
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Halton Regional Police Award of Excellence in Community Support
Honours
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Recipient of Governor General's Caring Canadian Award (Sovereign's Medal)
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Recipient of Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal
Mike's awards of Excellence in Community Support
Mike Duhacek receiving a National Award from The Right Honourable Governor General David Johnston
The Governor General's Caring Canadian Award presented to Mike Duhacek
A letter to Mike from The RT. Hon. Stephen Harper, PC, MP.
Media
A selection of newspaper articles
