Brett Bonderud
Black Press
Bright, blue morning skies and warm temperatures greeted cyclists beginning a ride of hope in White Rock last Wednesday.
More than two dozen riders gathered on the beach near the foot of Oxford Street to begin the Sears National Kids Cancer ride.
The ride – scheduled to arrive in Halifax Sept. 23 – raises money for the Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation, which focuses on improving the quality of life for children with cancer and their families.
“We give 100 per cent away to charity,” ride founder Jeff Rushton said at the start of the ride.
Money raised will support children’s cancer research, including work done at B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, Rushton said.
This is the ride’s fourth year and the second to start from White Rock. The city’s suburban location, wide beach front and large bay provided a better launching point than other Vancouver locations such as Kitsiliano.
“It’s so incredibly beautiful,” Rushton said about White Rock.
Various cyclists dipped their tires in shallow water to begin their cross-country journey. The next dip will be in the Atlantic at the ride’s finish.
White Rock Mayor Catherine Ferguson was on hand for the event. Ferguson lost her mother to cancer and said that if she had one superpower it would be to get rid of cancer.
The ride has raised $4.7 million in the four years of its existence. By year’s end, the total is projected to reach $6 million.