The West Shore RCMP garage sale and barbecue is back.
The annual fundraiser for the Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock returns to the West Shore RCMP lot hoping to raise more than $5,000, enough to send three kids to Camp Goodtimes, a medically-supervised recreation camp for children with cancer and their families.
“I couldn’t imagine having a child going through cancer, it is hard enough as adults but to see a child go through that... it’s just always on your mind,” said organizer and 2013 TDR rider Donna Fraser. “This is just an opportunity to give back to our community and volunteer time for those kids.”
The auxiliary member of the West Shore RCMP, who also works at the West Shore U-Lock mini storage in Colwood said her time on the tour last year and her husband Rod Fraser’s participation in the 2011 tour precipitated her heavy volunteer schedule for the Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser which raised more than a $1.2 million when she cycled two weeks and more than 1,000 kilometres for the ride in 2013.
“It was a real privilege to be a part of the team,” Fraser said. “It was physical, emotional, heart wrenching and rewarding just to see the support from all the communities along the way.”
Even though both her and her husband’s rides are over, it is that support she hopes to continue, painstakingly organizing and pricing donated garage sale items one by one into green bins; 136 bins have been packed so far, helping raise money for West Shore RCMP staff sergeant Steven Wright’s Cops for Cancer campaign.
“It’s a big event. People look forward to this and attend this and Rod and Donna Fraser put a lot of effort into organization and the funds are greatly appreciated especially considering the uncertainty of the school strike, we are concerned,” Wright said. “These events become that much more important in terms of raising money because we may not have the same revenue.”
The garage sale is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 23 at the West Shore RCMP at 698 Atkins avenue. The 2014 Tour de Rock takes place Sept. 20 to Oct. 3 and takes the 24 member team more than 1,000 kilometres from Port Alice to Victoria, getting into the West Shore Oct. 1 where the Westin Bear Mountain resort hosts a gala event and silent auction at 7 p.m.
For more information about the garage sale, to volunteer or to purchase tickets for the gala email Donna Fraser at drfraser@telus.net or call 250-532-1359.
alim@goldstreamgazette.com