Toronto, May 30 2025 – Cycle Toronto, McLeish Orlando Lawyers, and the Amaro family are pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the second annual Alex Amaro Cycling Kindness Award. Applications for the award will be accepted until Monday, September 15, 2025. The winner will be announced at Cycle Toronto’s annual fundraiser event, The Big Toronto Bike Ride presented by Bike Law Canada, on Sunday, October 5, 2025. Nominations can be submitted here: www.cycleto.ca/alex_amaro_award.
The Alex Amaro Cycling Kindness Award was created in memory of the eponymous 23-year-old cyclist who was killed while riding her bike in front of Dufferin Mall, December 2, 2020. Alex, who was in her fi nal year of journalism studies, was a passionate cyclist who embodied kindness, generosity, positivity and humbleness throughout her brief, but vibrant life.
The award is designed to recognize an individual or not-for-profi t group/organization who exemplify a positive approach to making cycling friendlier, more accessible, inclusive, environmentally healthier and sustainable for everyone. The recipient of the award will receive a monetary award from the committee.
Last year’s inaugural award recipient was Geoffrey Bercarich, creator and steward of the city’s white ghost-bike memorials to fallen cyclists. In helping open this year’s nomination period, Bercarich – a passionate cycling champion and long-time volunteer with Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists (ARC) – said: “It was an honour to accept the award to share in Alex’s memory, and dedicate the funds to further refurbish more ghost bikes memorials of fallen cyclists in Toronto.”
In the leadup to the Ontario government passing Bill 212 –
Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024 that mandates the
removal of key Toronto bike lanes, Alex’s parents, Karen and
George, wrote an open letter to Premier Doug Ford urging him to
abandon the legislation: “Bike Lanes Could Have Saved Our
Daughter.”
In an October 24 interview with CBC’s Metro Morning, George
poignantly stated: “We don’t want just motorists to get
home to their families faster, we want everybody to get home to
their families… we never had that with our daughter. She
never got home to us.”
“This city – this world – could use more kindness,” said Karen Amaro about this year’s award.
Pat Brown, McLeish Orlando: “It’s great to see us celebrate together the positivity and beauty of what Alex and her Award brings to our community. We need more of it”.
Michael Longfield, Cycle Toronto: “Karen and George’s courage continues to inspire me. Cycle Toronto is extremely honoured to play a part in helping honour the memory of Alex and highlight the amazing people selfl essly doing amazing things like Geoffrey Berarich.”