Tour de Rock – Cops for Cancer to Cycle Over 1000 Kilometers for Childhood Cancer
This guest post is by Stephanie McFarlane, a Saanich Police Officer and member of the 2011 Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock Team. Stephanie, along with 21 other members of the team, will be cycling the length of Vancouver Island in September to raise money for fighting childhood cancer. Stephanie’s goal is to raise $16,ooo and you can help her by clicking on the link at the bottom of this post and donating generously!
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By Stephanie McFarlane – I am honoured to have been selected for the 2011 Cops for Cancer – Tour de Rock team. The 22-member team will be cycling over 1,000 kilometres from the north end of Vancouver Island to the south, raising money to fight
childhood cancer.
The Tour de Rock ride begins on September 24th, 2011 in Port Alice and finishes in Victoria on October 7th. In the months to come, the team will be hosting fundraising events in communities throughout Vancouver Island and continuing our training by cycling more than 3,000 kilometres.
Since 1998, the annual Tour de Rock has raised a total of $13.7 million for the Canadian Cancer Society, which uses the money to fund pediatric cancer research and programs that help children with cancer and their families. A brand new team is picked every year. We have been training together, about three times per week, since March 2011. This year’s team comes from a variety of municipal police and RCMP detachments from Vancouver Island and includes 3 media riders. We did not all start as experienced cyclists (I preferred mountain biking). Now we think nothing of cycling 75 kilometres in the rain, wheels inches apart on a busy highway, while discussing our next fundraising event.
As a former Officer with the Canadian Navy and now a Saanich Police Officer, I was trained to solve problems, plan ahead and be proactive. When cops encounter a problem, they fix it. Three years ago, I was utterly helpless as I watched my close friend and roommate lose his battle with stomach cancer. Cancer has touched the lives of every police officer on this team and this is why we ride.
At a recent team meeting, we were introduced to a brave woman who lost her son to cancer prior to his third birthday. As a 38-year-old mother of two young children, I was heartbroken to hear her story. Being in the Tour de Rock is the best way I can fight the possibility of another family facing the same tragedy. Every kilometre the team rides, every community we pass through, every dollar donated to the Canadian Cancer Society helps children and their families as they fight cancer.
To follow my progress, please click the link at the bottom of this message and donate generously!
http://www.copsforcancerbc.ca/tourderock/stephaniemcfarlane
Other info: www.copsforcancerbc.ca