Captain Aaron Niles will be conducting his ‘Ruck for a Cure’ charity ruck march from CFB Trenton to the Quinte Health Belleville General Hospital.
The charity was started in 2021 in honour of Captain Niles little brother Sean who suffered from childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia at the age of two and a half months and was at one point given only 30 more days to live. Sean managed to qualify for an experimental form of chemotherapy which allowed for a successful bone marrow transplant with one of only two matching donors worldwide and led to Sean going into remission.
The ruck march was conducted from CFB Borden to the Simcoe-Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre, during which Captain Niles carried a 30-pound ruck, representing the 30 days his brother had to live.
The ruck itself was augmented to carry the military nametags of those who had been affected by Cancer in some way in their life, and at any point in the journey, military members, or civilians from the community, were able to join in and carry the ruck for a period-of-time, which represented how anyone could help carry the burden of those affected by cancer. In three years, Ruck for a Cure raised nearly $10,000 for the Regional Cancer Centre.
Now, Ruck for a Cure comes to the Quinte Region in partnership with the Belleville General Hospital Foundation, supporting advanced cancer care close to home through the Dr. Douglas A. Macintosh Cancer Clinic, with the fundraising goal of $30,000.
Ruck for a Cure was revived this year for a specific reason. In July 2025, at 15 years old, Sean was diagnosed with a large cell brain cancer (glioblastoma), caused by the radiation treatment he received over a decade ago during his original fight with cancer, and now his fight against cancer continues.
Captain Niles will depart from Bain Park, beside CFB Trenton, at 8:00 A.M on Friday October 17th, with an estimated arrival time at the Belleville General Hospital between 12:30 – 1:00 P.M.
At any point in the journey members of the community can join in the march, walking alongside him and carrying the ruck. In the weeks leading up to the event, members can also dedicate a name to be carried on the ruck so that they can be there in spirit.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
