Tour de Rock ride makes its way to the Comox Valley
Nearly two dozen Tour de Rock riders made their way into the Comox Valley on Wednesday, the fifth day of their cycling journey across Vancouver Island to raise money for childhood cancer research.
The year marks the 25th anniversary of the event, and rider Robin Campbell from Courtenay, B.C., was happy to be heading for her hometown.
"It's for a great cause," Campbell said. "I have a little junior rider. Her name is Amaeya. She is my shining star and I’m doing this for her."
The Courtenay rider is also part of the Cups for Cancer campaign, an equestrian fundraiser that benefits the same cause.
"This year, there’s a little girl from an elementary school we're going to be going to who raised $6,000 for a buckle that was in memory of my previous partner," she said.
The $6,000 donation was just one of many collected at school events in the region.
"A lot of people look at this as a two-week commitment," said Steve Robinson, a Saanich police officer and the team's spokesperson. "But the team has been training for eight months, so this is really full-time, really a lifestyle while you’re training for this ride.
"I had a fairly significant bout with my own cancer in 2009 and tried out for the team the next year and actually made one of the bike seats in 2011," Robinson added.
John Belanger has spent 12 years with the team as a motorcycle escort, keeping the team safe as the riders travel down island highways and streets.
"I always tell people you have to have your head on a swivel, otherwise somebody's going to get hurt," he said.
The Tour de Rock ride is expected to make it to Victoria at the end of their 1,200-kilometre ride on Oct. 7.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
NEW Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.