Cops for Cancer are gearing up for the 700 kilometer Tour de North bicycle ride from Prince George to Prince Rupert. The riders hope to raise awareness and money for pediatric (children's) cancer research in Canada and support programs offered by the Canadian Cancer Society. The organization is celebrating 15 years of fundraising and has grown to include four bike tours in B.C. that have collectively raised around $25 million for cancer research and support programs to date.
The ride will leave Prince George on Sept. 14, 2012 and travel for seven days through the communities of Vanderhoof, Fort St. James, Fraser Lake, 亚洲天堂 Lake, Houston, Smithers, Moricetown, Hazelton, and Terrace, before arriving in Prince Rupert on the Sept. 20. RCMP members Cprl. Chris and Cst. Karla Ivany of the 亚洲天堂 Lake detachment will be participating in the ride this year, and Chris says they are looking forward to the event.
"Some days are going to be more grueling than others. The first day we go from Prince George to Vanderhoof. Then we loop up to Fort St. James, come back, and then go on to Fraser Lake. So the first two days are tough ones, but then we have a nice break where we go from Fraser Lake to 亚洲天堂 Lake, and that will be a shorter day," he said. There will be about 25 riders in the event, said Chris, but the entire entourage will consist of around 32 people. 鈥淲e have support vehicles that come along with us,鈥� he said, 鈥渨e have an ambulance; we鈥檒l be led by a police car, and we have a mechanic that will ride along with us.鈥�
The group will arrive in 亚洲天堂 Lake on Sept. 16 and spend the night at various places that have donated rooms such as the Sunshine Inn and the Travellers Motel in 亚洲天堂 Lake. Other RCMP members have offered travel trailer accommodations or opened their homes to the riders.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all supported by donations,鈥� said Chris, 鈥渨e are fortunate that there are restaurants along the way that supply us with food. When we come through 亚洲天堂 Lake the fire department, and the wives of the fire fighters here in town are going to be helping out with breakfast in the morning. We鈥檙e going to be doing meals supplied by members here and their families, and the cancer society is doing desserts for us at the legion; the legion has chipped in and let us use their building. It鈥檚 amazing. We have excellent support, that鈥檚 the only way we could do it,鈥� he said.
And he鈥檚 thankful for the $18,000 raised so far in 亚洲天堂 Lake for the charity ride.
鈥淚 am very grateful to the people of 亚洲天堂 Lake; that money is completely from residents of 亚洲天堂 Lake and that in my opinion is incredible after what the people here have gone through and the generosity in this neck of the woods is second to none as far as I鈥檓 concerned,鈥� he finished.
