Victoria's 'Great Gatsbowl' tournament raising funds for Tour de Rock

Victoria -

Newcomers and veterans alike are invited to participate in a Great Gatsby-themed lawn bowling tournament, in support of the Canadian Cancer Society's Tour de Rock.

The 24th annual Tour de Rock ride will kick off on Sept. 20, raising funds for childhood cancer research.

Before the ride begins, the 1920s-themed Great Gatsbowl tournament will take place at the Canadian Pacific Lawn Bowling Club in Victoria on Aug. 26.

The tournament includes lawn bowling, one drink ticket and light snacks.

"You and your team can dress up and go for a really epic time," said Tiffany McFadyen, Cops for Cancer specialist for Vancouver Island.

"There's good food, good people and it's a lot of fun," she said. "You can have a fun night while supporting families who have kids with cancer."

The tournament will see teams of four competing against each other. All skill levels are welcome, and there will be an opportunity to practice before the tournament begins.

McFadyen says it's nice to have the Great Gatsbowl tournament return, after fundraising events were cancelled last year due to the pandemic.

"It is the island's event, so fundraising is going well," she said. "However, our events are impacted, and that has an impact on how much we raise every year."

The Canadian Cancer Society's Tour de Rock ride will run from Point Alice to Sidney over 12 days.

McFadyen says that despite events being cancelled, communities still showed up to support riders last year. She expects the situation to be the same this ride.

"Cancer doesn’t stop during a pandemic and there's still families being diagnosed every single day, and kids being diagnosed every single day," she said.

"It's not about the lights and the grandeur and the pomp and circumstance, it's truly about the kids we support and the families we support."

Tickets for the Great Gatsbowl tournament are $35 per person, with proceeds going to Tour de Rock. Spectators can also purchase tickets for $15. All registrants must be at least 19 or older.

To register for the event, email [e-mail].

CTV News Vancouver Island is a proud sponsor of the event.