25th annual Tour de Rock raises more than $1M for cancer research
CTV
The 25th annual Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock raised a total of just over $1 million for pediatric cancer research, and a large chunk of that total came from one of the stops riders made on their final push through Greater Victoria Friday.
In 18 years of fundraising for the tour, Reynolds Secondary School in Saanich had raised a total of $946,000. This year, the school's goal was $54,000, to get them to $1 million total.
After greeting the riders like rock stars Friday afternoon, students and supporters in the packed gymnasium learned the school's total: $110,246 – more than double the goal, and easily enough to put them over the $1 million mark all time.
After greeting the riders like rock stars Friday afternoon, students and supporters in the packed gymnasium learned the school's total: $110,246 – more than double the goal, and easily enough to put them over the $1 million mark all time.
Anna McMillan, who rode in this year's tour representing CTV News Vancouver Island, said she was blown away by the Reynolds Secondary cheque presentation.
"That made me cry," she said. "It's amazing."
Reynolds Secondary, as it turns out, is really good at raising money for the tour.
“We’ve done car washes, we did a bottle drive, there’s been tonnes of bake sales,” said Berlin Purves, a Grade 10 student at the school.
All across Vancouver Island, riders have received warm welcomes and donations large and small.