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Bracelet of hope pushes rider forward

Tour de Rock: Sidney auxiliary constable Devin Fidler was inspired by the riders.
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Devin Fidler

Ever since middle school, Devin Fidler has always remembered the visits from the riders with the Cops For Cancer Tour de Rock.

Today, as an auxiliary constable with the RCMP in Sidney North Saanich and a corporal with the military police as a reservist, Fidler thinks now is a great time to be a part of it.

“They always inspired us, the students, to start fundraising with them and inspired me to fundraise with them so I would always shave my head, go out to the event and help them fundraise for the cause,” he said.

Fidler said he believes that everyone at some point in their life is touched by cancer. For him, it was his grandfather who died from lung cancer. He said he knows a lot friends who have had their family or friends also succumb to the illness, adding that the ride is very important to do as it helps to raise money for a great cause.

He, along with the other police officers and media riders who are participating in the annual Tour, are assigned one to two junior riders who have been diagnosed with cancer. Riders will meet with them and work with them, listening to their stories.

“The kids that we’re raising the money for, they are just starting their lives and already they are going through the biggest battle of it,” said Fidler.

Fidler and the other riders also attended Camp Goodtimes, a summer recreation program where kids with cancer can attend with their families, and it was something Fidler really enjoyed.

“It just reminds me of how happy the kids were at camp. You go there and these kids are happy, you wouldn’t think it was any different than any other camp.”

With his long rides and training days, it’s a small multi-coloured rope around his bike that keeps him going and keeps him motivated.

At Camp Goodtimes, he received a multi-coloured bracelet, which is something each child receives when they go home from camp. They gather in a circle, hold onto the piece of string and talk about the fun things they had at camp, sharing in their experiences. They then cut a string and tie a bracelet on themselves and onto each other. This is something that Fidler keeps on his bike as a reminder when he rides.

So far, he has raised $7,600, with a large goal of $15,000. He will be taking part in a Cops for Cancer Silent Auction fundraiser at the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre on Aug. 22 which will have more than $4,000 worth of items to be auctioned off.

Something Fidler took away from the Camp he visited, was when he asked a  girl there what her favourite thing was about the camp. He said she replied the lake, crafts, camp fires — but that the best thing was that it’s free. And that’s due to the money raised by the Cops For Cancer Tour de Rock.