Rick Stiebel/News Staff
More than 100 cyclists, each with their own tale to spin, will ride this weekend in support of Vancouver Island Hospices.
Beth Harris, who works in human resources for Country Grocer, has a compelling reason for taking part. Her mother was a palliative care nurse and her aunt received hospice care before dying of cancer, Harris noted in a statement.
“We always called her Betty Boop growing up,” said Harris, who will ride with Betty Boop fabric on her bike. “It’s on every bike I ride … She’s always with me.”
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The seventh annual Cycle of Life Tour on July 20 and 21, presented by Think Communications, will take the riders across the Saanich Inlet, Cowichan Valley and Salt Spring Island. Community support for the initiative has already pushed past the $250,000 mark. Country Grocer’s team of riders, the Country Grocer Spinners, served up a nice slice of that amount on July 17 with a donation of $17,656.
“Making new friends and having a commonality and passion for where the money’s going is one of the highlights of the tour,” Harris noted.
Think Communications has been involved in the Cycle of Life Tour since 2013 and has raised more than $100,000.
“When you see how Hospice has impacted and touched so many people, it’s really something special,” said David Saele, president of Think Communications. “This is our fourth year as presenting sponsor.”
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Funds raised go toward supporting Hospice Societies in Victoria, Salt Spring Island, Cowichan Valley, Nanaimo, Comox Valley, Oceanside, Campbell River, and Pacific Rim. More than $900,000 for end-of-life care communities on Vancouver Island has been raised since 2011.
For more information on the event, go to cycleoflifetour.ca or visit victoriahospice.org for more on the services provided by hospices.
rick.stiebel@goldstreamgazette.com