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McGill student and Siberian refugee Alexei Simakov cycled 6,172 kilometres from Los Angeles to Toronto this summer to raise funds for Syrian refugees.

He would encounter hostile vagrants in the woods and brave torrential rains in Rocky Mountain passes. Broken gears, five worn-out tires, popped spokes and an inflamed knee slowed his progress. Sixty-two days living on canned beans sapped his spirit. He persevered, he said, to challenge himself and send a message.

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“One of the most heart-wrenching conflicts in the world today is the deadly civil war raging across Syria, now in its fourth year with no end in sight,” the 22-year-old international development and economics student wrote on his GoFundMe website page seeking donations. “What began as a peaceful protest against an oppressive regime has devolved into the greatest humanitarian disaster of the century.”

Photo by Allen McInnis / Montreal Gazette

His goal was modest, $6,435, one dollar for every kilometre he estimated his trip would take. But $20 donated to the charity of his choice, the International Rescue Committee, is enough to purchase bedding for a refugee family of five, and $50 is enough to feed them for a month. A modest attempt could still make a difference. He used nine per cent of the money raised to fund his trip, telling prospective donors up front on his GoFundMe page that he didn’t have the resources to cover the entire cost himself.