From head shaves to bake sales to Island-wide bike rides, the West Coast’s Cops for Cancer support has been inspirationally thorough.
Vancouver Island’s Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock team will take off on a 1,000-kilometre bike ride this month and will be cheered into the West Coast on Saturday, Sept. 30.
The Tour de Rock ride turns 20 this year and has raised over $23 million for paediatric cancer research as well as support programs like Camp Goodtimes, a weeklong experience for families battling cancer.
Ucluelet’s Const. Marcel Midlane is a member of this year’s team and is excited to ride across the Island raising support.
The team will start their journey from Port Alice on Sept. 24 traveling and will travel through roughly 30 communities on their way to the finish line in Victoria on Oct. 6.
Midlane began training for the journey about six months ago and is excited to get started.
“Life has been super busy with work, life, training balance, so I’ll be trading that in for the actual experience of what we get to do for the next two weeks,” he said.
“I’m getting ready for it emotionally and physically because it’s going to be a very emotional two weeks…There’s families all up and down in every community that’s been struck by childhood cancer and cancer in general. It’s going to be pretty emotional when people tell their stories and that will really hit home as to why we’re doing this.”
He said the West Coast’s support has been amazing.
“These communities are amazing. People are so incredibly generous,” he said.
“We’re over $30,000 now with donations still coming in and fundraising events still happening…There’s just been so much amazing support from people stepping up.”
Midlane is hosting a Hoedown to Slow Down Cancer dance event at the Ucluelet Community centre on Saturday, Sept. 16, which will feature West Coast sisters Rachelle Cole and Dena Bruno having their heads shaved by Tofino’s mayor Josie Osborne and Ucluelet’s mayor Dianne St. Jacques.
“The hoedown is going to be awesome,” Midlane said. “We’re going to have a lot of fun things going on and we’re going to have a great time.”
The event begins at 7 p.m. and will include games, door prizes, dancing, and a Cops for Cancer raffle draw that’s put an impressive bevvy of recreation and vacation packages up for grabs. Tickets for the raffle are $20 each and can be purchased at the Ucluelet RCMP detachment or by reaching out to Midlane through his Tour de Rock Facebook page.
Opportunities are also available to sponsor one of the 14 legs of Midlane’s 1,000-kilometre Tour de Rock trek for anyone wanting to support the cause while gaining solid exposure.
The Tour de Rock team will ride into Ucluelet on Sept. 30 for the community’s annual Cops for Cancer barbecue and head shave at the Co-op grocery store.
They will spend the night in Ukee before heading off to Tofino for a pancake breakfast event at the Tofino Legion the next day.
The Westerly News and Black Press are proud sponsors of the Tour de Rock.