Tour de Rock team gets 'uplifting' boost from childhood cancer survivors in Nanaimo
The 25th anniversary Tour de Rock team celebrated the 10th day of their two-week ride by pedalling into Nanaimo, B.C., on Monday.
The team arrived in a familiar place in the Harbour City: Aspengrove School, which they've visited for several years now.
This year, the team was gifted a $5,000 cheque raised by students and staff.
"They came by, we cheered them on, it was great," said Grade 12 student Brooklyn Barootes.
"I really think it really helps build a community here between us and them," she said.
The tour continued past north Nanaimo to Chemainus, B.C., hitting up multiple schools and local businesses along the way.
"Our distances are getting shorter but the stops are getting more and more," said Victoria police constable and rider Tristan Williams.
Other riders added that the stops give the team more energy "to get to the next destination."
But what really motivates the team is their honorary riders.
"It's so uplifting to have them with us because it's a reminder of why we are doing this," said Williams.
"When it gets tough we know we are doing it for these kids."
Williams is partnered with an honorary rider named Owen, whose older brother lost his battle with cancer.
Another honorary member, Chloe, is a Grade 6 student at Mountain View Elementary School in Nanaimo.
The Tour de Rock team also made a stop at her school on Monday morning.
"It's great. I know she loves it and it makes her feel pretty important, pretty special," said Chloe's mom, Cora.
"It's a good cause and we are all about it," she said.
Tour de Rock rider Robin Campbell, who's representing Cups for Cancer – a charity in the Comox Valley that uses horses to raise money for Cops for Cancer – has met Chloe before.
The sixth grader isn't Campbell's honorary rider, but the pair met due to Chloe's love for horses.
"Getting to meet another kid who has battled cancer definitely gives me the energy," said Campbell. "I really need that energy right now."
It's energy that will help guide the team as they make their way south towards the Cowichan Valley Tuesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
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.
'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.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.