'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
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.