Two Canadians are making their way across the country for a special cause.
Recently retired, husband and wife duo Rich and Pam Eyram have embarked on their cross-nation trek in support of Kids Help Phone, also known as KHP.
Rich is tackling the 7,700 kilometre journey on his bicycle, while Pam is supporting the cause by traveling in their campervan, with stops along the way to raise awareness about mental health and meet with community members.
The couple is aiming to raise $100,000 for KHP.
Rich explained the cause has a personal connection to both him and his wife.
“There’s our own circle of friends and family as well as Pam, during the pandemic, became a volunteer for the crisis text line for Kids Help Phone, and we thought for this youth mental health crisis that’s hitting, not just Canada but around the world, that this was a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness and hopefully some funds along this journey,” he said.
Pam noted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked with families, children and youth and when the pandemic hit, she could no longer meet with kids in-person, so she shifted her focus to working online. “I trained up to be a volunteer on their text line, and I’ve been doing it for more than five years and [approximately] over 500 conversations so far.”
IMPACT
Pam said Kids Help Phone is moving toward being known as ‘KHP’, because their services help youth and not just children.
“Youth is anywhere up to 29 [years-old] or south of 30,” she noted. “That’s really important for people to know because usually we think of it as just kids.”
Pam said KHP is Canada’s only coast-to-coast free, confidential mental health service for youth. “That means it’s 24-7 that people can call.”
KHP offers services in multiple languages with trained professionals. Youth can also utilize their services through the KHP website.
Pam said in 2025, KHP interacted with young people over 3.7 million times through phone calls, text messages, social media, and the service’s website.
“There were more than 273,000 text message conversations and that’s 30 per cent higher than just the previous year,” she stated.
Pam noted it is heartbreaking to see figures like this, but heartwarming to know services are available to help Canadian youth.
Rich added that while he is cycling each day, Pam is making stops at community sites like schools and health care centres, which he said highlights the need for the service.
“It’s incredible the work that Pam does as an individual but [also] the thousand-plus volunteers and professional workers that are doing this on a daily basis for youth in crisis.”
WHEELS ON THE GROUND
Cycling across the country is a daunting challenge, but Rich explained the idea to hop on came from wanting to do something different from his previous working life.
“I knew I was going to retire, and I was concerned around, ‘how do you ease into a different lifestyle after working for 33 years’,” he said.
Rich added that he “likes adventure” and thought it would be a “nice bridge into my old world of working as an executive in tech firms to a new world, which is unknown”.
He explained that he trained on the couple’s spin bike in their basement and decided in the spring that he was ready for the country-wide journey.
Rich said it is a physical challenge, but he is inspired every day and motivated by seeing the KHP logos on their campervan and seeing Pam speaking with community members.
“That gives me the motivation to just every day get back on the saddle,” he remarked.
Pam added that the couple has been stopped a number of times to share their stories about how youth mental health, and the work of KHP, has impacted their lives.
JOURNEY WRAP-UP
Rich said the goal is to complete the journey in Halifax over the Labour Day weekend.
He explained to hit that mark; he needs to average 125-plus kilometres every day and believes that the approaching flatlands of the Prairies will help him reach that point.
The couple are set to arrive in Lethbridge on Monday, June 29 and depart from the city on Tuesday, June 30, with stops planned in Bow Island and Medicine Hat this week.
More information about Kids Help Phone is available on the KHP website.
