20 • BrainMatters • Fall/Winter 2021
MICHAEL LEVY, 76
Foundation Board Member and
long-standing Barrie 2 Baycrest participant.
HE ALTHY AGING
AND GIVING BACK
TO BAYCREST
22 years of riding in support of Baycrest... and counting!
Why does he participate?
"I love the ride. It is exciting, fun, easy and also very
difficult. I ride because it is imperative to show that
Baycrest is more than an old folks' home and is the
very antithesis of 'old'. The group of riders has changed
enormously and I am one of the few 'old timers' from the
original rides. But, the new riders are as excited as I am
and raise considerable funds for Baycrest and for Stan's
Gym, in memory of my dear friend and founder of the
ride, Stan Feldman. That is what keeps me coming back…
a tribute to a remarkable man who taught me that aging
is something of a privilege - a privilege we can't ignore!
My goal is to keep doing the ride until I am 90 and then
I will see."
What does Baycrest mean to Michael?
"I have been privileged to be on the Baycrest Foundation
board for almost 25 years and believe Baycrest is at the
core of enriching lives of older adults. I believe that age is
more a matter of the mind than of the body."
Over the years, the Baycrest Foundation has held a number
of fundraising events to support research, innovation,
care and education into brain health and aging. Below are
two examples of donor-participants who know that living
fearlessly, no matter what age, comes with its own rewards.