The Royal LePage® Riding Club has returned home triumphant after successfully completing the Transylvania Ride for Shelter in support of the Royal LePage® Shelter Foundation™!

With $230,000 raised to-date, Riders far exceeded their original goal and set a new fundraising record for the biennial event. Funds raised will support the local women’s shelters of each rider, as well as national prevention programs aimed at stopping intimate partner violence in Canada before it starts. 

Following in the footsteps of previous ‘Ride for Shelter’ events in Colombia (2024) and the Himalayas (2022), this year’s journey had participants crisscrossing the awe-inspiring southern Carpathian mountains via Romania’s world-famous Transfagarasan road. The 5-day adventure of a lifetime also included a trip along the Transalpina Pass – Romania’s highest paved road.

Through domestic rides, the Royal LePage Riding Club has been raising money for the Shelter Foundation for many years. In 2022, the club decided to take things to another level and with Foundation staff, create a motorcycle adventure as a sister event to our enormously successful Trek for Shelter. Since then, engagement has doubled with every ride, reaching 40 participants hailing from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland for the Transylvania challenge.  

“I was delighted that more than a third of our team this year were women,” said Phil Soper, Royal LePage CEO, and President of the RLPRC. “The Ride for Shelter has grown to become an important, inclusive national event.”

“Romania gave us everything we could have asked for — spectacular mountain roads, technical riding and an exotic mix of Eastern and Western European culture. The extreme heat in the valleys added another dimension to the challenge, particularly when you’re dressed in heavy protective motorcycle gear. We divided into three riding groups based on speed and experience, which allowed everyone to push themselves while riding at a safe pace. Like our Shelter treks, this is about much more than the physical challenge. These adventures give people from across Royal LePage the opportunity to experience a new culture together, build forever friendships, and raise funds for an incredibly important cause. Romania was a remarkable adventure for a remarkable group of people,” he concluded.

“What a ride, what a country, and what a reason to ride,” said Val Brooks with Royal LePage® Wolle Realty in Kitchener, ON. “We twisted and climbed through some of the most spectacular scenery Romania has to offer. We laughed until we hurt, faced unexpected challenges and made memories that photographs will never quite capture. There were lost keys, lost luggage, wrong fuel, motorcycles that didn’t always cooperate, scorching temperatures, and days when we were completely exhausted. And yet, none of those challenges compared to those faced by women and children experiencing violence. That is why we came. That is why we rode. And that is why every kilometre mattered.”

Challenging conditions and small mishaps provided an opportunity for riders to bond each day, with a plush moose presented each evening to the rider who needed a good luck charm for the following day. “With only about 10 minutes to our final gas station, a bike was dropped in the middle of a major roundabout,” recounted Tracy Landry with Royal LePage® Burloak Real Estate Services in Burlington, ON. “Without even thinking, our group immediately surrounded the riders and their motorcycle, protecting them from traffic while we got the bike upright. That little moment summed up the entire week beautifully and reminded us all of the long-lasting memories and friendships that were made this week.”

“It’s the people who make these experiences the most special,” added Melanie Pearce with Royal LePage® Triland Realty in London, ON. “This community of riders are some of the most fun, supportive and fearless people I know. This ride was highly technical and required teamwork, trust and the fullest of your attention. I couldn’t be more thankful for my time in Romania and the people I got to share it with.” 

Organized in support of the Royal LePage® Shelter Foundation™ each participant covered their own trip and travel expenses and was required to raise at least $3,000 for the cause. The international arm of the ‘Ride for Shelter’ series has now raised over $539,000 in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. Those interested in joining the Royal LePage Riders Club can reach out to shelterfoundation@royallepage.ca for more information. 

To make a donation, please visit: shelterfoundation.akaraisin.com/ui/ride2026