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Nanaimo police hit the roof for Tour de Rock fundraiser

NANAIMO – Tour de Rock riders get into high gear for Tour de Roof fundraiser.

Tour de Rock riders from Nanaimo and Parksville will be riding tall in the saddle, so to speak, when they climb aboard a scissor lift for Tour de Roof.

The event happens Friday (Aug. 23) in front of Save-On-Foods at Country Club Centre, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., when 2013 Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock team riders Const. Misty Dmytar, representing Nanaimo RCMP detachment, and Cpl. Jesse Foreman, of Oceanside detachment, take to the skies to raise a target of $3,500 in donations to fight childhood cancer and support Camp Goodtimes, a summer camp for children battling cancer and their families.

“We’re trying to raise money to get them down,” said event organizer Cpl. Norm Smith.

Save-On-Foods will support the fundraiser with a donation tent and barbecue.

“It’s going to be a hotdog barbecue,” said Smith, who will also have a police motorcycle on site for children to sit on.

Dmytar is riding in support of her son, Griffyn, who was diagnosed with cancer shortly after he was born. She has already passed her fundraising goal of $20,000, but is trying to raise every dime she can for the cause.

“I have a huge support group, probably because of how important it is for my family and me,” Dmytar said.

Each year more than 830 children in Canada are diagnosed with cancer.

“As far as I’m concerned that’s 830 cases too many, so it’s important for people to come out and show Jesse and me their support and dig a little deeper into their pockets and donate that extra five bucks,” Dmytar said. “It is really, truly all about the kids. It’s one thing as an adult to have cancer, but to actually have a child diagnosed with cancer is just that much more heartbreaking.”

Foreman is motivated by his experiences with the Tour de Rock during his years in Sayward, when he witnessed an entire community overcome its own hardships to put on a massive dinner, donation presentation and host teams overnight. He  lost his grandfather and an uncle to cancer, but has two other relatives with cancer currently in remission.

“We’ll have balloons and all kinds of stickers for the kids,” Smith said. “Bring some money and give to the cause.”

Then on Saturday (Aug. 24), Country Grocer in Chase River is hosting a barbecue fundraiser with Tour de Rock rider Ray Carfantan.

Hotdogs are by donation and will be ready and waiting for supporters to slap on buns and mustard from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

For more information about Carfantan, please check him out on Facebook at Tour de Rock Ray.

For more information about Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock, please visit the ride website at www.tourderock.ca.



Chris Bush

About the Author: Chris Bush

As a photographer/reporter with the Nanaimo News Bulletin since 1998.
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