Tour de Rock riders may make a return to Sidney soon, after the offer of a pampering foot treatment at Haven Spa.
The Cops for Cancer cyclists applauded the gesture made during the Sidney stop of the Canadian Cancer Society fundraising bike ride last Thursday.
“As we got into Sidney this afternoon, our team reached the 1,000 kilometre mark on our journey,” said rider Sandi Swanson.
“Cancer touches us all,” said Sidney event organizer Julie Harman. “This year I am dedicting my volunteering to a young friend of our family, Henry Down, a local 20 month old currently fighting cancer and undergoing treatment in Vancouver.
“I want to peronally thank Sandi Swanson from this year’s team, who offered to ride for Henry.”
The 19 riders assembled at the Mary Winspear Centre then paraded amid sirens and lights, leading a group of cycling grade-schoolers in a parade past waving onlookers, through town to Beacon Park. Hotdogs served with a trademark Thrifty’s smile and mini donuts kept the crowd fed and ready to cheer when the head shaving event came around.
To rousing applause, eight-year-old Kynan Smith’s blond ringlets were zipped off after the KELSET student raised more than $8,500 — quadrupling his goal of $2,000 — for the Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock. Smith continued what’s become a tradition on the Peninsula of young lads opting to grow their hair for the cause.
Five years ago, three boys, Cameron Lorenzo, Gareth Sandner, and Rhys Sandner, shaved their heads for Cops for Cancer. Each year since then, a few more boys from their school class have joined in the effort.
This year Sandner, a Grade 10 Stelly’s secondary student, was joined by sixth graders from Bayside: his brother Gareth, Cameron Lorenzo, Liam Dobbs, Thomas Plant, Robbie McLatchie, Kendall Watts, Ethan Newman Justin Miles (North Saanich middle school) and youngest brother Owen Sandner (Grade 2, Deep Cove). Watts raised about $2,000, after growing his hair for two years. The other boys raised about $2,700.
While the kids from the bike parade munched on treats from Mineral World, Rest Haven Lodge, Sidney North Saanich RCMP, Thrifty Foods and the Peninsula News Review also came forward with cheques from fundraising events.
Earlier in the day — after stopping at several Peninsula schools — the riders were greeted by hot rods at Stantec in West Sidney.
Stantec launched a friendly competition with neighbouring businesses ASL, Terra Remote and AXYS Technologies and raised $12,426.82 for Cops for Cancer. Stantec earned the coveted Tour de Rock trophy for raising the highest amount per employee in support of the tour.
“Since the introduction of Cops for Cancer, the Peninsula has raised over $400,000 for childhood cancer research and to send children to Camp Goodtimes,” said Harman.