Minimax president Yves Poirier made a 900-km run this week. But it was on two wheels, not 18, and he was delivering inspiration – not freight.
The Cornwall, Ont.-native and avid cyclist has for years considered visiting all the company’s terminals – spread across 900 km between Drummondville, Que., and London, Ont. — via road bike.
He decided to take the plunge this year, and in doing so raise some funds within the organization for employees who were coping with uncovered medical expenses. The internal initiative raised about $7,000, and Poirier dug into his own pockets to give $200 awards to those who were the closest at predicting the time of his arrival at each terminal. They paid $5 per guess to participate.
The company has terminals in Drummondville, Cornwall, Belleville, Toronto, Hamilton and London. In a document distributed to staff prior to the ride, Poirier explained his motivation:
“I will be fundraising along the way, with all funds for the ride going to one or more team members, or one of their direct family members, who require special care that incur high out-of-pocket costs,” he wrote. “These can include (but are not limited to) medications or treatments not covered by OHIP or RAMQ, special accommodations required in the home, travel expenses, or third-party care not covered by your provincial health plan.”
He dubbed the initiative Yves’ Ride for Mental Health.
The route was initially going to take Poirier east from the London terminal, but strong headwinds prompted him to go the other direction, beginning the ride in Drummondville May 20. He wasn’t, however, deterred by the steady rain he faced along the route.
“The weather was the big challenge,” he told trucknews.com on his way back to Cornwall, after arriving May 23 at the London terminal. “It rained quite a bit Wednesday afternoon and then all day Thursday. The cold and the rain were the big challenges. I was on the bike, one day, for 17 hours, another day for 15 hours, then 11 hours and this morning was only four hours. No matter what you have for gear, you’re going to be cold and damp and you just want to go somewhere warm.”
Poirier used a GPS app for cyclists to map out his route. I took him through downtown Montreal and Toronto, but he said traffic was mostly respectful. Staff at each terminal welcomed Poirier upon his arrival.
“It was totally, totally unexpected, and it was great,” he said of the reaction. “Every terminal I got to, there were people cheering outside. In Hamilton, they had tents and balloons and this morning in London, I had a big sign and some balloons, and it was totally, totally unexpected, but very, very much appreciated.”
Staff were motivated by their leader’s commitment. Eric Olesak, Hamilton terminal manager said “Our entire team has been motivated and inspired greatly by his actions. He received a warm welcome from each terminal along his route and even some of our competitors were cheering for him as he was going by.”
In addition to being able to raise money for staff in need, Poirier hopes to motivate employees to get active.
“It doesn’t have to be cycling,” he said. “That’s my passion. It seems like it inspired a lot of people to move and maybe that was the goal at the end, too, to be inspired to be just moving and getting healthy.”
He’s considering another future fundraiser, which would be more of a group activity, involving other Minimax employees.
Asked if he plans to go for a ride this weekend, Poirier laughed. “I’m taking it easy this weekend,” he said.
The initiative, which Poirier never expected to get so much attention, aligns with Minimax’s corporate values, he said. In his letter to staff he concluded: “Our motto is ‘Peace of mind transportation from our family to yours.’ I truly believe we are one large family. Now let’s be there for a family member who needs help.”
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