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Tour de Rock mock tour; MS Bike in South Cowichan

The Canadian Cancer Society Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock team will be on the road Saturday, Aug. 19, for their dress rehearsal mock tour.
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The MS Bike event is always a popular ride through the Cowichan Valley. (Citizen file)

The Canadian Cancer Society Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock team will be on the road Saturday, Aug. 19, for their dress rehearsal mock tour.

A fully escorted training ride with support crew, police cars and motorcycles, the 2017 Team will pedal their way on the Island Highway from Nanaimo to Duncan and back.

“This is the 20th year celebration for the Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock and the team is pumped to kick things off,” said Katie Crowe, tour coordinator. “Over the years, Vancouver Island has raised over $23 million to support kids who are battling cancer. Thanks to our supporters, we have sent over 8,500 kids to Camp Goodtimes where kids and their families can escape and just be kids.”

Suited up in their Coast Capital training gear, the Team musters at the Inn on Long Lake Nanaimo and then rides for a visit at Port Place Thrifty Foods in Nanaimo. The team then rides to Ladysmith Tim Hortons for refreshments. Next, the team hits a special lunch stop fundraiser at Just Jakes restaurant in Duncan. The public is welcome to meet the team; tickets are available through Just Jakes.

Mock Tour concludes with a special beer and burger fundraising event at Nanaimo’s Boston Pizza from 4:30-6 p.m. where the public is invited to meet the team. Tickets are available through Boston Pizza.

The 20th Tour de Rock Team is comprised of police officers from CFB Comox and Esquimalt, Port Hardy, Campbell River, Comox Valley, Ucluelet, Port Alberni, Nanaimo, North Cowichan/Duncan and Westshore RCMP detachments, as well as Saanich and Victoria municipal police departments. The team is complemented with special guest riders from ambulance, firefighters, media and the corporate world

Visit TourdeRock.ca to learn more about each team member and for a list of upcoming fundraisers in your community. Donations can be made at CopsforCancerBC.ca.

The actual Tour takes place Saturday, Sept. 23 to Friday, Oct. 6, when the riders will travel from the north end of Vancouver Island to the south, engaging with 27 communities along the way. These men and women will inspire an entire island to give courageously and make a direct impact on pediatric cancer research and child and family support services — such as Camp Goodtimes — all made possible by generous donations to the Canadian Cancer Society.

MS Bike Tour going on this weekend

On Aug. 19 and 20, hundreds will come together in the Cowichan Valley for British Columbia’s annual MS Bike to demonstrate their power in helping to change the lives of Canadians living with multiple sclerosis.

MS Bike is the largest fundraising cycling series in North America and it’s the experience of a lifetime, say organizers. Every year since 1989, cyclists of all ages and fitness levels across the country get together to end Canada’s disease: multiple sclerosis.

Kicking off at Brentwood College School in Mill Bay, the Cowichan Valley ride is an experience of breathtaking views and sumptuous flavors, organizers promise. Throughout the ride cyclists can stop and enjoy local wineries, farms, and artisans and sample local fare.

Upon return, cyclists can spend the afternoon at Rider Village where the day will continue with appetizers, a gourmet dinner and evening musical festivities.

Camping is available onsite, complimentary RV parking is offered, and dorm rooms are available for $35. Artisanal cheese makers, slow-food chefs and award-winning wineries and cideries await.