It seems the effects of COVID-19 are still being felt almost every day.
That’s mainly because it’s not going away anytime soon, folks, and it’s becoming more apparent we’re in a marathon, not a sprint. The reason we’re getting worn out on a daily basis is because we’re still going through the calendar for the first time with all our normal annual events since COVID restrictions went into effect in our part of the world during mid-March.
As a result, we’re still noticing things being impacted for the first time.
The latest case in point is the massive Cops For Cancer Tour de Rock fundraiser. We’ve become so used to seeing it play out around the Island with large donations, a dedicated team of riders and communities coming together to help the cause.
Of course, things in 2020 are quite different. It’s not that people aren’t willing to continue helping the cause; it’s just become more difficult.
The Chemainus Health Care Auxiliary sets aside $10,000 every year to support the event. That money is allocated well ahead of time from Thrift Store sales, but if this pandemic persists the amount is sure to diminish simply because the store sales are not going to match the levels of previous years.
The Chemainus Legion donated $1,050 and is a regular supporter as well. There are normally others that attend a breakfast in honour of the riders on the tour to make their cheque presentations, but organizations are not raising the same amount of money to support these causes.
The same can be said at all the tour destinations around the Island.
As the calendar moves along through October, November and December, we’ll continue to feel the strain of COVID hitting fundraisers and community events in those months for the first time.
The Chemainus Fire Department’s famous Christmas craft sale, for example, is already cancelled because the public is not going to be allowed inside the fire hall where the sale usually takes place.
As the profound jolt of COVID continues, all we can do is hold our heads high and hope for better days again soon.