The third annual Climb for Cancer held Saturday afternoon saw more than 450 participants scrambling up the cutbanks to raise funds to support Kordyban Lodge as a bracing wind blew across the river.
Climbers Angie and Darcy Goodkey were there for their second year in a row.
Angie lost her mother, grandmother and uncle to cancer and did the climb to honour their memories, while Darcy came to support his wife in her efforts. The pair also participate in the Relay for Life.
"I think this is a good event and we try to do things together," Darcy said. "Everyone knows somebody who's had cancer."
The pair haven't done anything special to train for the event.
"I hope we don't need CPR before we're done," Darcy deadpanned and Angie laughed.
"We hope the event has a good turnout and it brings some money to the Kordyban Lodge," Angie said.
Headquarters for the event was the grounds of the Northern Lights Winery where people could register for the climb, before heading down P.G. Pulp Mill Road to climb the iconic cutbanks as many times as they dared. After the climb people were encouraged to return to the winery for entertainment and refreshments.
Kordyban Lodge, which celebrated its fifth anniversary last month, provides accommodation for cancer patients and their caregivers from Northern B.C. who need to travel for outpatient cancer care to Prince George. So far 3,500 patients have used the facility.
Last year the Canadian Cancer Society's Climb for Cancer raised more than $27,000 and this year the goal was to raise $55,000.
At the end of the day with donations still coming in the total was more than $50,000 with a final tally to be announced later. That would see the three-year event total exceed $104,000. The oldest climber this year was 79 years old, the youngest were two two-year-olds and the fastest climb was recorded at four minutes 11 seconds.
"Fingers crossed, touch wood, we could hit $50,000," Dave Duck, event chair, said early in the day, who had his own team of eight heading for the cutbanks called, can you guess? The Mighty Ducks, of course.
Duck, a cancer survivor himself, found it hard to express himself as he thought about the gratitude he had for the community that supports the Climb for Cancer.
"I'm just so thankful to Prince George for their support," Duck said. "The Kordyban Lodge provides just a very critical and valuable service and we think it's worthy of their support and our fundraising efforts."
