'Great experience': Tour de Rock riders meet with students in the Cowichan Valley
The Tour de Rock team was in the Cowichan Valley on Tuesday to mark day 11 of their 14-day ride to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society.
"The awareness that we're raising, and the children at schools learning what we're doing, it's a special thing," said rider Kenn Mount, Fire Chief for the District of Central Saanich.
"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, it's a great experience for sure," he said.
The team made stops at schools and community events where cheques and cheers were waiting for them.
Mount hopes the visit also inspires students to want to be scientists, police officers or "just to really give back to our community."
This year's donations will add to the $27-million that Tour de Rock has already raised over the past 25 years, which goes towards pediatric cancer research and to help send kids with cancer to Camp Good Times.
Island resident Kim Walters donated $400 to this year's tour in honour of her grandson who is now 14 years cancer free.
"The success rate now with children with early childhood cancer has increased immensely because of things like this where they can do the research that's needed," she told CTV News.
"Hopefully one day no child will have to go through this."
The tour touches a range of Vancouver Island residents and volunteers.
Support team member Simon Douthwaite's daughter survived leukemia.
"I'm really please to be here and to have the community support up and down the island," he said. "I just love Vancouver Island."
Riders are readying themselves for the home stretch of the tour, which ends on Friday.
CTV News will be live with the team on Friday, with riders hoping to raise more than $800,000 this year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.