Confetti poppers exploded, hundreds of students cheered and a band blasted a welcoming tune as Tour de Rock riders rolled into Oak Bay High on Friday, Oct. 3. The squad of 18 cyclists began their journey 14 days ago in Port Alice, where they set out to ride 1,200 kilometres across Vancouver Island to raise money for childhood cancer research and support programs. Even more teens waited excitedly for the riders in the school's gymnasium, where the squad was presented with a $30,464 cheque – cash students raised through a bottle drive, car wash, garage sale and silent auction. “The riders in front of you are all first responders from all over the Island, as well as media, that take a lot of their time, starting training … in March,” Principal Shawn Boulding told the packed gymnasium. “This is a huge task for them.” Students and fundraising leaders Kye Tyerney, Miriam Gunn, Rowan Lawlor and Katie Lindsay, who handed over the cheque, were instrumental in drumming up this year’s donations. “To all the students, all the teachers and everyone in our school who were involved – we had an amazing fundraiser and a great September,” said Tyerney. “It’s been such a great year.” Much of the money Oak Bay High raised will go towards Camp Goodtimes – a Canadian Cancer Society program Tour de Rock supports that provides a fun, medically supervised summer camp experience for children and teens living with cancer. “It really makes an impact on the lives of kids with cancer that get to go to camp and enjoy their childhoods for once and forget about their treatments,” said Lindsay. "It's really something that touches the heart of everyone here." Tour de Rock representative Simon Douthwaite couldn’t have been happier about the donation. “You guys are going to be sending so many kids to camp who are having a really, really rough time and they’re going to have a much better time because of you,” he said. “It’s so meaningful … and we are deeply, deeply grateful.” The bikers soon pedalled out of the school, where they met police motorcycles and a souped-up police cruiser there escort them to their next stop at the Archie Browning Sports Centre in Esquimalt. The group’s journey ends today outside the B.C. legislature. To find out more about Tour de Rock, visit cancer.ca [https://cancer.ca/en/?utm_source=oak%20bay%20news&utm_campaign=oak%20bay%20news%3A%20outbound&utm_medium=referral].
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