When asked what motivated her to cycle 600 kilometres around the Fraser Valley this week, Zabrina Braithwaite-Kelso said her reason was simple: “My daughter is well, the least I can do is help others.” The detective constable with the Surrey Police Service is one of 19 first responders participating in the Cops for Cancer Tour de Valley this year. Kicking off at the Surrey Police Service Headquarters Monday morning, the participants will cycle 100 kilometres a day, for the next six days. Now in its 27th year, the event raises money for childhood cancer research and support services at the Canadian Cancer Society. “When cancer enters a child’s life, it changes everything for that family. Hospital stays, missed milestones, emotional strain, and the distance travelled for treatment,” Brooke Sherwood from the Canadian Cancer Society said at a ceremony Monday morning. But more than just raising funds, Sherwood said the ride is also “about providing hope.” In the last few decades, the various ‘Cops for Cancer’ events have raised more than $60 million. According to the Canadian Cancer society, that has contributed to a 13 per cent increase in survival rates for pediatric patients. But participants say that is not high enough, and that they will continue to ride until a cure is found. “They’re our most vulnerable, and we need to help them,” Braithwaite-Kelso told CTV News. The riders will be joined by a 25-person support crew, along with “countless” volunteers. Their journey will take them from Surrey to Delta, and then through Langley, Abbotsford and Chilliwack. “This team is amazing, so it doesn’t matter what the weather throws at us, I think we will overcome it,” Chilliwack RCMP Const. Rudy Tichelaar told CTV News. “It’s such an amazing cause, the effort that we put in is nothing compared to what these kids go through.” The ride will also raise funds for Camp Goodtimes, a medically supervised camp for kids and teens affected by cancer, along with their families. “That’s where you are really seeing the impact that we have,” Tichelaar said. “You see the kids being kids, the families being worry free, it’s just such an amazing thing that we ride for.” While cycling 600 kilometres may not be a feat that most people can pull off, participants say it is important to help however you can. “I think one of the biggest things is that if you can, you should,” Tichelaar said.
