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Four Surrey RCMP officers ride to raise cash during abbreviated Cops for Cancer tour

This year, the annual Tour de Valley ride is a combined virtual and team ride from Sept. 21 to 25
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Surrey RCMP constables Adison Hiemstra, Joe Lau, Paul Towne and Doug Wilson (from left to right) are riding in this year’s Cops For Cancer Tour de Valley fundraising event. (submitted photo: Surrey RCMP)

This fall’s Cops for Cancer Tour de Valley charity bike ride will look and feel different, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Four Surrey RCMP constables – Adison Hiemstra, Doug Wilson, Joe Lau and Paul Towne – have registered to ride during the annual fundraising event, which sees law enforcement and emergency services personnel cycle more than 800 kilometres in an effort to raise funds and awareness for pediatric cancer research.

The Tour de Valley, previously scheduled to roll from Sept. 17 to 25, will now be a combined virtual and team ride that will take place from Sept. 21 to 25. This year’s fundraising goal is $300,000. Details are posted to cancer.ca, where each rider has an individual fundraising webpage.

The four Surrey RCMP officers “have adapted to the challenges presented by the pandemic, rolled up their sleeves, and have begun fundraising via phone, email and social media,” according to a news release posted to surrey.rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

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Lau, who is riding for the third time this year, said participating in the Tour de Valley has been a life-changing experience for him. “Seeing the strength and courage of our Junior Team members as they battle cancer, it is incredibly humbling,” he says.

For Wilson, being diagnosed with skin cancer earlier this year is not stopping him from participating in the 2020 ride.

“It will be his (second) year riding in the tour and (he) has been training while he can, after recovering from surgery in March to remove the affected areas,” noted a tweet from the Surrey RCMP account. “Doug lost his wife to cancer in 2018 and is riding for all those who, like him, have been greatly impacted by cancer.”

In addition to money raised for pediatric cancer research, the ride also helps send sick children to Camp Goodtimes, located in Maple Ridge. The summer camp offers special medical support services to sick kids and their families.



tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com

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Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
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