‘Suspects’ were released on their own recognizance after supporters posted bond to buy their freedom at Woodgrove Centre on Friday.
The money handed over to the ‘Crown’ was actually donations to buy research and programs to help fight pediatric cancer through the Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock’s Jail and Bail event, when police rounded up prominent people in the community who were taken to cells. Once there, ‘suspects’ had to phone for donations posted as bail to buy their freedom.
“About 10 people were on the list,” said Const. Misty Dmytar of the Nanaimo RCMP who was a Tour de Rock rider in 2013.
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Dmytar, with Const. Samantha Caram and Cpl. Kevin Flood, both 2017 Tour de Rock team members, spent the day transporting ‘prisoners’ to and from Woodgrove Centre’s centre court throughout the event, which ran from about 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
By 1:30 p.m. about $7,000 had been raised, said RCMP corporal Norm Smith, one of the event organizers who was drumming up donations through raffle ticket sales throughout the event.
The final tally by end of day was $10,300 and donations were still coming in, Tanya Davis, Canadian Cancer Society mid-Island annual giving coordinator, reported in an e-mail to the News Bulletin.
People who want to meet this year’s entire Tour de Rock team of riders can do so Saturday (Aug. 19) following the team’s mock tour, a training event that starts and ends in Nanaimo that gives the riders their first experience riding as an entire tour package to prepare them for the actual 2017 Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock that starts in September.
This year’s mock tour wraps up with a beer and burger at Boston Pizza at Longwood Station, where the team will meet and have dinner with anyone who wants to come out and support the fight against childhood cancer. Event time is 4:30-7:30 p.m.