More than 100 law enforcement and emergency services personnel will put foot to pedal for a good cause this fall.
The Cops for Cancer bike ride, a gruelling 900-kilometre tour from the Lower Mainland to Vancouver Island and back, is an annual event to raise funds and awareness about pediatric cancer as well as support for Camp Goodtimes.
West Vancouver police Const. Jeff Palmer and North Vancouver RCMP Const. Carlos Rockhill are two members of the more than 30-person team cycling for the Tour de Coast.
Both have been training for the ride since earlier in the year, Palmer since January and Rockhill since April.
Palmer is dedicating his ride to his Aunt Lauraine who is successfully battling cancer in Calgary. He says there is no shortage of motivation to do the ride, after having lost a number of relatives to cancer.
"I know every one of those family members that's been affected would all agree that kids should never have to face this," says Palmer. "And if you could do something to help support kids who are facing this or help find a way to prevent other children from ever having to face the journey with cancer, you should."
Palmer says the ride has been something he has wanted to do for a number of years.
"It was just a great opportunity," he says. "It's a team ride, but certainly (I) want to be ready and I enjoy cycling in any event, bicycle my commute as many days as possible to work and then do additional training on the weekends. So it's good, I enjoy it."
The ride is spread out over the course of nine days, Sept. 17-25, through various types of terrain, in rain or shine.
Rockhill says the biggest challenge for him will definitely be the hills.
"I've participated in three official training days where we ride for about 40 km," he says. "It just gives you an idea, that would just be half a day, then we'll be stopping for lunch for an hour, and then we'd have another 40 km at least to finish. So it's been an eye opener every time we train together as a group."
Rockhill is dedicating his ride in memory of his close friend's son, Taylor, who was diagnosed with cancer as a child. After having surgery to remove the tumour, doctors predicted Taylor would have only a short time to live, says Rockhill.
"But he kept going, he was a trooper, he fought on the battle and he survived for actually quite a few years," he says.
One of the things that kept Taylor going, says Rockhill, was attending Camp Goodtimes.
"It's a camp in Maple Ridge where kids with cancer and their families as well, they attend for at least a week or two. Sometimes with families, sometimes with siblings and sometimes it's just by themselves and they meet other children affected with different types of cancer," he says. "They just get to be kids for a week or two. The friendships that they make, the support that they get from each other is amazing. They celebrate every year when they see each other's faces or they mourn their losses when a face from last year doesn't show up and they support each other."
Unfortunately, says Rockhill, Taylor lost his battle with cancer.
Palmer says the team had an opportunity to spend a day and evening at the camp earlier in the summer.
"You meet these kids and it really puts everything in perspective," says Palmer. "So to say that it's a commitment to participate in this, it really pales when you compare it to what these children and their families are facing."
The Tour de Coast takes officers along the Sea to Sky corridor, Sunshine Coast, North Shore and various cities across the Lower Mainland.
Palmer's and Rockhill's teammates also include North Shore residents Const. Jenna Oliver with the Port Mann freeway patrol, as well as Const. Courtenay Mulhern and Staff-Sgt. Keith Hammond, both with the Vancouver police.
Each officer commits to raise a minimum of $6,000 to participate in the ride. Palmer has raised more than $7,000 and Rockhill has raised more than $3,400.
Cops for Cancer began in 1994 when an Edmonton police officer shaved his head in support of a boy who had cancer. Since its inception, the charity has raised more than $50 million and includes events such as head shaves, bike rides and school-based fundraising.
To make a donation to Palmer, Rockhill or their Tour de Coast teammates, visit bit.ly/1qObhlx.
