2019 Canadian Cancer Society Cops 4 Cancer Tour de Rock.

The following article was received from Cpl Michael Smith, MPU Esquimalt, BC
 
​It’s a new year for Tour de Rock, with Military Police members being selected as part of the Canadian Cancer Society Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock team. This year’s team is made up of 13 Police Officers, 3 Firefighters, 2 Paramedics and 2 guest riders from 17 different Vancouver Island departments and 1 media rider from Victoria, British Columbia.
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The Tour de Rock is a two-week bicycle journey in which a team of police officers rides more than 1,000 kilometres from the north end of Vancouver Island to the south, raising money to fight childhood cancer through research funding while providing the opportunity for kids to attend Camp Goodtimes. Camp Goodtimes provides a safety-focused, medically supervised, fun and recreational experience for children with cancer and their families.
                   
This year’s ride takes place September 21st to October 4th, but the team has been actively training since March in order to prepare for the long endurance, highly emotional, and well publicized event. Training consists of three days a week: Tuesdays are hill nights, Thursdays are speed nights, and Sundays are the long-distance training rides.

.From L-R: Pol Ops MPU Esquimalt WO Jeffrey Eves; MPU Esquimalt Cpl Michael Smith; 12 MP Flt Cpl Gord Burton; and A/CO MPU Esquimalt Lt Gueorgy Zatonskikh. Members posing on the day of the team announcement on May 10, 2019 in Victoria, BC.

​Money is raised throughout the year by 27 communities that are all visited by the Tour de Rock Team during the big ride. As participants, all team members are also expected to raise a minimum of $5000 which is money that goes directly to helping fight childhood cancer through support programs such as Camp Goodtimes. Last year’s team was able to raise in excess of $1,300,000 and since 1997 Tour de Rock has raised over $25,000,000.
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 Throughout the training and community events that members are involved in over the duration of the seven months, it also provides a great opportunity for liaising with other law enforcement agencies as well as building stronger relationships within the communities that the MP live and work in while supporting such a great cause. It is a particularly special year in that there is representation from two different MP Units which assists in educating people outside of the MP Branch about the diversity that CFMP provides on a day to day basis.
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 More information on the Tour de Rock can be found at: www.tourderock.ca
 
Fundraising information and training activities of the MP riders can be followed on social media at:
 
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