The second worst wildfire season in B.C.’s history didn’t prevent more than 2,500 cyclists from honouring their riding pledges to conquer cancer.
The 10th annual Ride to Conquer Cancer took place on Aug. 24 and 25. In that time, teams from both Canada and the U.S. rode 203 kilometres between Cloverdale and Chilliwack.
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The ride was originally scheduled to run from Cloverdale to Hope, B.C. over the ride’s two days, but smoke from the wildfires on Highway 7 and concerns over air quality forced organizers to change the second day of the route to a 92-kilometre loop in the Chilliwack area.
Prince Rupert sent a contingent of 10 riders to the event. The team’s members — some of whom had participated in the ride since it began 10 years ago— raised $33,007.
In addition to participating in the ride itself, members of the Rupert team were honoured for their years of participation and fundraising efforts.
Gordon Simonds and Francis Wolfe received platinum bike helmets, signifying that they had each participated for 10 years in the ride.
Chris Last, Francis Wolfe and Steve Weir received ambassador jerseys for their leadership, fundraising and organizational efforts with the Prince Rupert team.
This year, the ride itself raised more than $10.6 million, which will go toward cancer research. In total, the ride has raised more than $96 million, supporting more than 47 research projects at BC Cancer in the 10-plus years it has been running.
“Over 10 epic years, the Ride to Conquer Cancer has been changing outcomes for British Columbians facing cancer,” said Sarah Roth, president and CEO of the BC Cancer Foundation. “The Ride and its thousands of participants, tens of thousands of donors, gives families hope that together we can conquer this disease.”
READ MORE: Riding against cancer
matthew.allen@thenorthernview.com
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