A team of 16 cyclists battled the rain and hills of the Fraser Valley as they rolled through Chilliwack on Saturday.
The Cops For Cancer Tour de Valley team rode from Aldergrove to Chilliwack on Sept. 14, marking Day Two of their eight-day fundraiser ride.
The team will ride 800 kilometres through the Fraser Valley from Sept. 13 to 20 raising money for childhood cancer research and support services at the Canadian Cancer Society.
Const. Nikole Craft with the Chilliwack RCMP led the team down Young Road as they made a stop at District 1881 in downtown Chilliwack on Sept. 14. She said one of the reasons she's riding is because cancer has grown in her family, but also because she wanted to do more for the cause.
"I wanted to be a part of something a little bit extra, a little bit more," she said.
This marks the second Cops For Cancer ride for Craft, after taking part in the fundraiser in 2022.
"You start riding through the schools and all the kids are in the gymnasium, crowding and cheering. It's like being a part of something that you can't even imagine until you experience it. It's just phenomenal."
Tanna Fleming, whose son Ethan Fleming died of cancer, spoke to the team that day about her son.
Ethan was seven years old when he was diagnosed with his first cancer, osteosarcoma, where he lost his knee. Over the course of nine years, he battled various cancers. Ethan had Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which is a rare disorder that increases the likelihood of developing cancers.
He died on Sept. 9, 2022 at the age of 16.
Ethan was an energetic kid who loved to make people laugh. He was "always thinking about someone else before him," his mother said.
Cops for Cancer is the largest national fundraiser for pediatric cancer research and pediatric support programs in Canada. Money raised also supports programs like Camp Goodtimes where kids with cancer can "just be kids."
"He never got a chance to go to Camp Goodtimes. He was just too sick," Fleming said.
She recalled when the Cops For Cancer team stopped at Ethan's school, Rosedale Traditional, years ago when he was first diagnosed. After meeting the 2024 team in District 1881, Fleming thanked them for their years of hard work in raising funds and awareness for childhood cancer.
"Let's fight cancer and find a cure for cancer," she said choking back tears.
To donate to the Tour de Valley team, or to a specific rider on the team, go to support.cancer.ca/site/TR?fr_id=29670&pg=entry.
