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Ladysmith shows strong support for COVID version of Tour de Rock

Senior donates $8,000 from proceeds of year-long bottle collections
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Ladysmith Intermediate School is the first destination in Ladysmith for Tour de Rock riders. (Photo by Don Bodger)

Ladysmith welcomed the COVID version of the Cops For Cancer Tour de Rock campaign with open arms at four stops Monday morning.

The four riders on this year’s alumni tour – Chemainus resident Steve Smith of the Saanich Police reserves, North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP’s Pam Bolton, Stephanie McFarlane of Saanich Police and Deputy Solicitor General for B.C. Mark Sieben – enjoyed a brilliant day of sunshine while riding from Chemainus to Ladysmith and then back to Chemainus before being transported to Lake Cowichan to complete the final leg of their tour.

“(Monday) was a great day for the tour,” noted Smith. “The donations at the (Chemainus) Legion surpassed our expectations which was great. In Ladysmith, we received two more large donations, over $5,000 from the Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Campaign and over $8,000 from a local Ladysmith fellow who collects bottles all year long and donates the monies to Tour de Rock. We had a socially distanced ride by of our honourary rider in Ladysmith which was great to see their smiling faces.”

Ed Polachek, 92, made his donation from bottle drive proceeds amid much fanfare with students at Ladysmith Intermediate School.

The Tour also made stops at Ladysmith Secondary School and the Fox and Hounds Pub.

“After riding back to Chemainus, we travelled by vehicle to Lake Cowichan where we cycled by the two schools where another of our honourary riders attends,” Smith indicated.

“All in all, a great day. All the smiles, honks and waves kept us motivated. Cancer is not taking a break this year and neither are we. Tour de Rock is here to stay and help the kids and we will be back again next year.”

“We have 50 riders who are riding this year,” added Ladysmith resident Tiffany McFadyen of the Canadian Cancer Society, who’s on her second year with the tour in a scaled-down version from her debut.

“People are excited to see us come through. We’re the only charity doing something. It’s really cool.”

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Tour de Rock riders at Ladysmith Intermediate School. From left: Pam Bolton, Mark Sieben, Stephanie McFarlane and Steve Smith. (Photo by Don Bodger)
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Ed Polachek, 92, watches the Tour de Rock proceedings at Ladysmith Intermediate School. He donated $8,000 to the tour from bottle collections. (Photo by Don Bodger)
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Donation of $8,000 is made by Ladysmith’s Ed Polachek outside Ladysmith Intermediate School during Monday’s Tour de Rock stop alongside childhood cancer survivor Griffin. Polachek conducted a year-long bottle drive to raise the money. (Photo by Don Bodger)


Don Bodger

About the Author: Don Bodger

I've been a part of the newspaper industry since 1980 when I began on a part-time basis covering sports for the Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle.
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