In April of 2005, David Barbour a local triathlete shared an idea of a bicycle ride he and his friend/coach wanted to do for cancer awareness. David's father had recently lost his life to cancer while his close friend Eric Simpson battled cancer in 1996.
The ride they envisioned would leave the Canadian Cancer Society office in Kelowna BC at 4:00 am on June 21st, the longest day of the year. The ride would take us, on one of BC's least scenic, worst highways, the Coquihalla highway and in wretched weather... all in the name of the Big C, one huge mother of a disease, that had killed, was killing, and might kill those they love. 400 kms and 12,000 feet of climbing, we would arrive at South Shore Cycle in Delta, BC. We were to finish in daylight by 10:00 pm.
The ride would bring awareness and ask others to consider what they could do to help the cause. At very least, change your lifestyle or volunteer with the Cancer Societies. Local cyclists were up for the challenge and at the end of the day, the team had 4 support vehicles and 17 riders including David, Eric. The 2005 ride was the start of a huge success. We raised over $15,000.
In 2006, we did it again with a few more riders and volunteers. We had a some media coverage that gave us more awareness in the communities we passed through and at the very least, gave us many cheers and honks along the way. We raised almost $40,000 on the 2006 ride! 2007 saw an enourmous jump to $200,000 raised. In 2008, 63 riders and 30 volunteers raised $230,000. 100% of which was donated with no administrative costs!
