Cops for Cancer’s Tour de Coast rolls through Whistler this weekend, with police and first-responders cycling more than 800 kilometres for a good cause.
An annual fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society, this year, law enforcement and emergency personnel are riding from Sept. 21 to 29 on varied terrain in the Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast and Sea to Sky.
The cyclists will pass through Whistler on Saturday, Sept. 24, with a community stop planned for 5 p.m. at Olympic Plaza. Then, at 7 p.m., the Longhorn Saloon will host its annual “Hoe Down for a Good Cause,” with all proceeds from the $10 cover charge donated to the cause. There will also be a 50-50 raffle.
Tickets are available http://sevn.ly/xjkmRY6A.
Cops for Cancer specialist Samantha Falconer said Whistler has always been a big booster of the ride.
“We’ve had wonderful support from Whistler over the years,” she said. “I definitely think the athleticism of the cause resonates in the community, but overall, Whistler is a very strong, connected community, and it’s really great to have everybody come together.”
Raising roughly $50 million for the Canadian Cancer Society in its 25 years, Cops for Cancer this year has set a fundraising target of $600,000. At press time, more than $426,000 of that total has been raised.
Taking part in the ride once again is Pemberton RCMP Cst. Jessica Mucha, who has so far raised more than $12,000 on her own, ranking her seventh among the top fundraisers this year.
Along with being a major cancer fundraiser, Falconer said the ride serves as a way for the public to see a different side of the police officers who serve in their community.
“A lot of the riders will say that being a part of Cops for Cancer is really a highlight of their career because they get to interact with their community in such a different light,” she explained. “You can make an impact in a different way, and they get to meet the families they are fundraising for and make that connection. Certainly, I would say it’s the same for the community: they get to see the riders in a different context.”
To learn more and to donate, visit copsforcancer.ca/tourdecoast.
