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Cancer society presents local man with leadership award

Once the volunteer saw first hand who exactly he was fundraising for when he visited Camp Good Times, a family camp for children who have cancer, it suddenly didn't matter how much rain landed on him or how cold the wind blew during the Cops for Canc
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Terry Mitchell was presented with the Impact Award from the Canadian Cancer Society for his volunteer leadership and his eight years working on the Cops for Cancer Tour De North.

Once the volunteer saw first hand who exactly he was fundraising for when he visited Camp Good Times, a family camp for children who have cancer, it suddenly didn't matter how much rain landed on him or how cold the wind blew during the Cops for Cancer Tour de North.

"What children go through when they get cancer is awful - they age 40 years - the illness robs them of their childhood - so whatever I go through on the ride is nothing compared to that,'" said Terry Mitchell, the recipient of the Canadian Cancer Society's divisional impact award for achievement in volunteer leadership. "The children's journey is a lot longer and a lot harder."

There are 12 achievement in volunteer leadership awards presented in the province, and Mitchell's is the only award that came north. The criteria for the award describes someone who is a positive role model, who has energy and vision and who has provided exceptional commitment and outstanding contributions beyond expectations.

Cops for Cancer Tour de North is a seven-day bicycle ride to raise funds for pediatric cancer research and allows children to attend Camp Good Times. The 2016 ride goes from Prince George to Prince Rupert and sees a team of RCMP members and emergency services personnel from across northern B.C. brave all the challenges a ride like that comes with including all types of weather. To date more than $2 million has been raised.

Mitchell, who is a paramedic, has ridden in five full tours, driven the ambulance, joined the support crew as mechanic and support rider, was an alumni rider for a year and sat on the planning committee for eight years.

Mitchell was also key in creating a how-to manual for the Cops for Cancer Tour de North that is now used throughout the province for similar rides.

"I think it's a really great thing when other people recognize our individual efforts but it's a big team effort to make this work in the north because all the riders come from across the north and to bring them together for a week on the road is an immense challenge," said Mitchell, whose energy was renewed to continue to support the ride when he visited Camp Good Times in 2009.

Erin Reynolds, annual giving coordinator for Cops for Cancer Tour de North for the Canadian Cancer Society, B.C. and Yukon Division - Northern Region, said she found Mitchell's volunteerism invaluable.

"Along with his essential skills as a paramedic on the ride, Terry brings his high level of cycling experience, tour experience, and a great leadership style to the table and the road, with regards to planning and executing a highly impactful tour," said Reynolds. "It was through his initial persistence in 2007 to get involved with tour as a representative of BCAS (B.C. Ambulance Service) that the BCAS became involved on an annual basis since and for that we are grateful."