Cops for Cancer

I was asked this evening by a friend why I ride my bike so much. I typed a long response that I want to share with everyone.

This riding is for the Canaian Cancer Soceity`s Cops for Cancer Tour de Valley 2008.
It`s my third year on the Team and each rider (there`s 25 of us) commits to raising at least $5000 each season. We train as a group once a week but I try to ride at least one other time during the week. Sometimes passing motorists just give us money while we`re stopped at a red light or something. But to answer your question, No, none of our fundraising actually happens while we ride.

We have events through out the summer, pub nights, weekend `pole sits` at grocery stores, `blonde or gone` events where the participants raise money to support them either dying their hair or shaving it all off. One girl on myteam raised almost $5000 just by shaving her head. I dont think I could shave my head :)

The actual Tour is September 17th to 26th where we ride from Tawassen to Bosten Bar and back, approximately. We cover almost 1000 kilometres in 9 days.

The Canadian Cancer Society supports children and families living with Cancer. They have dozens of kids who are in various stages of living with Cancer. Since I`ve been involved since 2006, three of these children have died. The children form our Junior Team and they come on Tour with us, and we have events through out the summer with them. They are a lot of fun. Some are obviously physically ill and others display no physical symptoms. One of our girls is 17 year old Alicia who goes to highschool in Langley and from looking at her, you wouldnt be able to tell that she has a brain tumour. She is beautiful.

One of the programs that is supported by funds raised in Fraser Valley is the volunteer driver program. One boy from Hope had to go to Childrens Hospital a couple times a week for years to get his treatment. The volunteer driver through the Canadian Cancer Society would pick him and his mother up in Hope and drive them to Vancouver. Things like that that make life easier on the family living with Cancer.

Another great program is Camp Goodtimes in Maple Ridge. Children living with Cancer can attend camp and be medically taken care of and have the time of thier lives. The Cops for Cancer team goes up once a year for an evening. Last year we participated in their casino night and had a lot of fun. I dealt Black Jack for children living with Cancer for a few hours and they played pretty serious!That`s one experience I will never forget.

The Junior Team members give us riders strength. When I`m humping it up a massive hill and my lungs are screaming at me, I always think to myself `It`s better than Chemo` And those kids go through so much, the least I can do is make it to the top of this hill.

This photo is of Quinn and Chris Coburn. Quinn has been on the Junior Team longer than I`ve been riding with Cops for Cancer. Chris Coburn, of 93.7 JRFM was our media rider in 2006 and 2007.

The photo above is of Chris and Cst Dave of the Delta Police. Chris was 6 when he passed away last fall. He was such an inspiration and a joy to be around. Miss you buddy.