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Black Press is proud to be an offi fficiiall sponsor for the 2012 Cana Ca nadi dian an Can Cance cerr Society Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock, with news reporter t Kylle Slavin on the 18-member tour team as a media rider. To follow Kyle Ky le Sla Slavi vin’ ns Twitter updates from the final weeks of training and throughout the th e ri ride de, fo follllow ow @TDRKyle. ON TOUR: This year’s Tour de Rock begins in Port Alice on Sunday, Sept. t 23 and d ends en ds Fri Frida dayy, Oct Oct. 5 in Victoria. Tour To ur de de Ro Rock ck raises funds and awar aw aren enes esss fo forr pediatric cancer research and programs. HELP OUT: Donations can be made at www. cops psforcancer.ca FIND OUT FIND OUT: To catch up on all the th e To Tour ur de de Ro Rock ck news, photos and videos, go online to:
www.bclocalnews.com/ tour-de-rock
Saturday,, September 1, 2012
Nanaimo News Bulletin 15
LENDING A HELPING HAND Former Mountie takes a ride on this year’s Tour de Rock Brittany Lee Black Press
H
elping others and giving back to the community is second nature to Kathryn Goodyear. The 50-year-old West Shore resident, and former member of the Sidney North Saanich RCMP detachment, was a police officer for more than 30 years. After spending most of her career in Alberta, including two years in Nunavut, Goodyear retired from the RCMP in June 2011. However, she continues to work as a reserve police officer at Victoria International Airport. “I still wanted to be able to give back to the community,” she said. Her willingness to help others is why Goodyear is riding the length of Vancouver Island, raising funds for pediatric cancer research as she represents the local RCMP detachment in this year’s Canadian Cancer Society Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock. “That’s basically what policing is, working with and working for the community.” While Goodyear has not personally been affected by cancer, a close friend dealt with the disease. In 2005, her friend’s son was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of cancer that causes the bone marrow to produce excess white blood cells. A year after recovering, in 2008, the young boy relapsed and required a bone marrow transplant. The boy’s brother stepped up. Today, the
Brittany Lee/ News staff
Kathryn Goodyear stands with her cardboard cutouts at Victoria International Airport. Members of the public can visit the display, learn more about Goodyear, the Tour de Rock – and donate. young man has been cancer-free for seven years. Seeing the support available to her friend, who was a single mother, inspired Goodyear. “The fight itself with cancer is hard enough without having to worry about your employment and your mortgage and all the other stuff that goes with it,” she said. The Tour would be nothing without the support of the Island communities making an effort to raise funds for kids with cancer, she added. “Everybody buys into the fact that these kids need this help.” Goodyear recalls a trip to Camp
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Goodtimes with her Tour team in mid-July. The only thing different about the summer camp for kids who have or had cancer is that there’s an oncologist on site, she said. “The kids were laughing and screaming,” she said. “If this money can put that kind of smile on their face, and (allow them to) forget about (their cancer) …” Goodyear paused, unable to find the words to continue. Gearing up for the Tour de Rock, which starts Sept. 23 in Port Alice, Goodyear said she looks forward to getting caught up in the spirit of fundraising and supporting the families she meets along the ride.