The View From Here
Why would I do this to myself? Winter is going to be a little colder for me this winter...
I had my head shaved for charity on a cold, rainy morning in September,
in support of Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock rider Constable Ian Ritchie.
Ritchie, 46, an officer with the Saanich Police Department, is also
a Mount Washington property owner.
An avid cross-country skier, Ritchie lives with his wife and four sons
in Shawnigan Lake. Ritchie noted on the Tour de Rock website that he
wanted to raise $5,000. Many Comox Valleyites stood in line to have
their head shaved when the Tour de Rock stopped in town. At press time
my supporters and I raised just over $4,700.
In his team bio, Ritchie stated that he was motivated to join the tour
to raise money for cancer research. “Both parents have been inflicted
with cancer,” he wrote. “Know a child with cancer. Love
cycling - even more, now!”
Just finished its eighth year, the Tour de Rock is a 1,000-kilometre
bicycle trip that annually sees a team of 19 law enforcement officers
and two media members travel to 27 communities from Port Alice to Victoria.
The tour has raised in excess of $5.5 million for the Canadian Cancer
Society.
The Tour de Rock began in 1998 when Saanich Sgt. Martin Pepper topped
up the Cops for Cancer head-shaving event with a local fundraiser for
children. The police officers who sign up for the tour spend seven months
training by cycling more than 3,000 kilometres.
Officers are teamed up with Island kids going through cancer treatment.
Ritchie was paired with Justin Maizis, 15, who was diagnosed two months
before the ride with anaplastic large cell lymphoma, a rare cancer.
Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock is a very worthy cause and hats (hair?)
off to everyone who supports them annually.
