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Friday, October 4, 2013
Warm Warm Land welcome for waterlogged riders Tour de Rock: Riders slog through the wet West Coast on way to collecting tens of thousands for kids with cancer
Tour de Rock Cops for Cancer staff Dave Giles pumps up the spirits of the riders with their traditional highfives before leaving Mill Bay Centre and heads for the Malahat on Wednesday. Shawnigan Lake School field hockey coach Kelly Koepp has her long locks cut at Shawnigan Lake school where the Tour was greeted by students in pink Connect T-shirts. Cst. Jennifer Prunty of Island District RCMP with her junior rider Amelie McLean of Queen Margaret’s School on Tuesday.
Don Bodger
News Leader Pictorial
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t’s been the worst of times and, yet, the best of times for the 2013 Tour de Rock Cops For Cancer cyclists. The weather has been by far the worst in the history of the tour, including showers when the fundraising entourage came through the valley Tuesday and Wednesday. The riders haven’t caught much of a break throughout the final week of the 14-day odyssey. “It’s been brutal,’’ said Kyle Slavin of Black Press, who rode on the tour last year and is serving as media coordinator this time. By comparison last year, “we had an hour and a half of rain the entire tour and it was light, light rain,’’ said Slavin. Somehow the weather has made the resolve of the cyclists stronger. First and foremost on their minds has been the children who’ve experienced cancer or are still enduring it. Tuesday’s valley visit included stops at Chemainus Elementary School, Lake Cowichan School, Palsson Elementary, Drinkwater Elementary, Tansor Elementary, Queen Margaret’s School and Beverly Corners in Duncan. At each stop, tour riders presented a plaque that read; “A person never stands so tall as when they kneel to help a child.’’ Amelie McLean, a Grade 4 student at QMS, and Matt Kercher, 16, of Lake Cowichan were honourary junior riders for valley portions of the tour. Both know the trials and tribulations of cancer from first-hand experience. The Tansor stop marked the first-time ever for the tour at the school. “They’re pretty pumped,’’ said principal Joseph Boudreau. “It’s good for the community.’’ The students had a busy time fundraising for both the Terry Fox Fun and Tour de Rock. Tansor student Breanna Mayea was Chicken Wrap Meal “We all know Grilled or Crispypicked to sit on the back of rider Kevin Nunn while he completed 50 the world needs pushups. At Queen Margaret’s School, people to put proceeds from Civvies Day, a bake others before sale and donations amounted to $1,891.70 for the campaign. self.” “In actual fact, we managed to bring that up to $2,000 this afternoon,’’ announced Susan Cruic. Chicken Strip Meal kshank of QMS Tuesday afternoon. “The great thing is we had a lot of fun raising that money for you.’’ The riders arrived at Beverly Corners slightly ahead of schedule. Upgrade Deluxe Cheeseburge Cheeseburger Mealof head shaves Q4 – “We OCTOBER 2013 a– bunch CANADA were–doing before we were
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Don Bodger, Andrew Leong
rudely interrupted by the arrival of the team,’’ joked emcee Al Siebring. Carla Davies of the Cowichan Valley Dragon Divas presented a cheque for $500 on behalf of the group and a large cheque for $29,000 was given to the riders on behalf of community fundraising. Several people donated money from head shavings and members of the Cowichan Valley Capitals stirred up additional funds not only with head shavings, but leg shavings as well. “I’m doing it for a good cause,’’ said Caps’ defenceman Reilly O’Connor. “A friend of mine had breast cancer. She beat it.’’ Wednesday morning’s valley stops before hitting the
Malahat included Frances Kelsey School, Shawnigan Lake School and the Mill Bay Centre. Shawnigan students were out in full force for a rousing reception to greet the riders. “We had our housekeeper two years ago, Elaine, got cancer,’’ said Clare Addison, part of a supportive group from Stranthcona House. Inside Mellor Hall, there was a sea of pink as students wore shirts with the word “Connect’’ on the front. The back provided a definition: “to be or become joined, to unite, to establish a relationship between.’’ “We all know the world needs people to put others before self,’’ said headmaster David Robertson. more on page 12
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