Anyone taking in the Tour de Rock celebration at Veteran’s Memorial Park would have been overjoyed with the energy and dedication of the West Shore community, despite the soggy weather.
Generous donors young and old had their heads shaved, adding thousands of more dollars to the running total — more than $750,000 when this paper went to press before Thanksgiving.
A number of children and teens on the West Shore have faced down cancer with immense bravery, and are the clear reason why the Tour de Rock riders sacrifice their time and energy.
Riders know their trials and suffering on the road is nothing compared to a child going through chemotherapy or living at B.C. Children’s Hospital. The ride is also a tremendous reward — the generosity and hospitality from people the length and breadth of Vancouver Island let’s us know that community and charity aren’t lost in the past.
The contributions of others in the region — a number of schools raised thousands of dollars — are no less important to the big picture. The reality is we will need to give well into the future to fund research into the causes and treatment of cancer.
We mark this time of year by getting behind the police and media riders who give their time to act as a focal point for this major campaign.
Perhaps more important is that we congratulate all the young people in our communities who engaged in any fundraising activities, rallied the troops and generated much-needed capital for such an important cause.
The positive results of so many campaigns for Cops for Cancer has us feeling truly encouraged by what the future appears to hold for Greater Victoria.
It tells us the tendency for Capital Region residents to dig deep and help out will continue for at least another generation.