The road ahead is 850 kilometres long for 25 riders in the Canadian Cancer Society's Cops For Cancer Tour de North ride from Prince George to Prince Rupert.
With many mountains to climb and uncertain weather ahead, those long self-powered ascents could be agonizing, but the riders will gather momentum from the fact they will have raised close to $260,000 for pediatric cancer research by the time they complete their seven-day ride on Sept. 20.
The ride will also raise funds and awareness for Camp Goodtimes, a summer camp for kids who have cancer and their siblings, as well as other programs that benefit young cancer patients. Tour de North riders will stop in 10 communities along the way, joining forces with cancer survivors to speak to schoolchildren at assemblies.
"It's a chance to send a message to the kids about active lifestyles," said tour organizer and Canadian Cancer Society community giving co-ordinator Erin Reynolds.
"If you maintain a good body weight, eat healthy, be active, do regular screening and stay out of the sun, 50 per cent of cancer can be prevented. We want to spread that message to the kids and who better to do that than people who are planing to ride 850 kilometres."
Cops for Cancer is the result of partnership between the society and the RCMP. Last year's ride started in Fort St. John and ended in Williams Lake. Tour de North is one of four rides which take place in the province. Two Cops for Cancer rides originate in Vancouver (one to Whistler, one to Boston Bar) and a ride on Vancouver Island from Port Alice to Victoria.
Twenty-one RCMP officers make up the Tour de North team, including Prince George members Danielle Brissard and Coralie Wilkinson; Karla and Chris Ivany (Burns Lake); Greg Hall and James Rutledge (Dawson Creek); Jen McCreesh (Fort Nelson); Greg Pichler (Fort St. James); Pat Egan, Ian Patrick Rissanen, Patricia Duffels and Jason Spielman (Fort St. John); Monte Webb (Mackenzie); Keith Lansdowne and Marshall Thompson (New Hazelton); Bob Killbery and Jennifer Collins (Prince Rupert); Courtney Cross (Quesnel); Henk Timmerman (Smithers); and Dave Dickson and Chris Ives (Williams Lake).
Dennis Schwab and Sherry Pattie (both of Prince George) are listed on the team as community riders, Sharon Unger of Vanderhoof will be the medic rider, and Roy Spooner of Prince George is a media rider.
The Tour de North riders will have four months of training behind them by the time they leave Prince George on Sept. 14. The ride is sponsored by hotels, restaurants and residents in each community.
Each RCMP rider is expected to raise $3,000 each, while community riders are expected to collect $6,000. Since the first Cops for Cancer ride in northern B.C. in 2001, the Tour de North has raised more than $1.4 million for cancer research. Last year's ride collected $257,000. The goal this year is to raise $265,000.
For more information go to www.campgfoodstimes.org or www.copsforcancer.bc.ca.
