VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C. - It's an annual tradition that tests the limits of its participants, but it's all for a great cause.

The 2018 Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock is officially underway. Riders are on the road after leaving the Tri-Port area Sunday morning. The yearly event helps raise funds for cancer research and helps kids battling cancer go to Camp Goodtimes.

Camp Goodtimes is a place where kids can forget about the disease they're battling. More on the camp can be found via this link.

The Tour de Rock sees the group of riders, which includes police, first responders and media personalities, travel from the top tip of Vancouver Island all the way down to Victoria.

Along the way, the riders stop in the different communities across the island, and take part in events like head shaves and pancake breakfasts. For the North Island region, the participants will be in Campbell River on Tuesday, September 25th.

The group will make stop at local elementary schools and will host the Boston Pizza Mix and Mingle event Tuesday evening.

Riders will travel to the Comox Valley come Wednesday, stopping by Comox Valley Dodge (4847 Island Highway North), and then having lunch at Boston Pizza in the Driftwood Mall plaza.

The Red Serge Spaghetti Dinner will take place Wednesday night at Comox's École au Coeur de l'île. A breakfast will be held Thursday morning at Thrifty Foods on Lerwick Road.

After visiting Cumberland, the riders will make their way towards Union Bay, then Qualicum and Parksville.

The grand finale will take place in Victoria on Friday, October 5th.

For a full schedule of events and detailed itinerary, visit tourderock.ca.

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The 20th edition of the Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock has come to a close.

Riders from across the Island, including firefighters and BC Ambulance Services, finished their journey in downtown Victoria this evening, with all proceeds donated to funding cancer research and sending youth with cancer to Camp Goodtimes.

Event spokesperson Jan Buehler notes this was an amazing event, due in large part to community support.

"Cancer changes lives and a child with cancer is such a horrible thing.

Everyone has made the choice to help and it makes a difference to these kids."

This year's event raised an astounding $1,305,611.

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Campbell River residents are supporting the Tour de Rock in a big way. Around $67,000 was raised for the Cops for Cancer fundraiser here.

That number was revealed Tuesday at a reception for the riders at the Campbell River Common. Virginia Bessette, one of the riders and a member of the Campbell River RCMP, says she’s impressed with that amount and that she was glad to see people come out and support them.

Tour de Rock riders will be making their way across the island until next Friday when things wrap up in Victoria.

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A Vancouver-based actor and producer is stepping up for the Tour de Rock. Rob Heimbecker says he’ll match donations up to $25,000.

Heimbecker lost his father to cancer and says he can’t imagine kids going through the hardships of a cancer diagnosis. He’s also a board member of the Canadian Cancer Society BC & Yukon.

To donate just follow this link.  Heimbecker says he’ll match donations until next Friday.

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Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock riders travel from Campbell River to the Comox Valley on Wednesday.

Media Rider with Vista Radio Sandra Boyd says it’s been quite the experience so far.

Boyd says her biggest motivating factors are the children that riders are helping out.

“A lot of kids don’t realize that kids with cancer, they don’t get to go to school. They’re 9 times out of 10 sitting in the hospital waiting for the next chemo treatment or radiation treatment,” she says.

Boyd adds that “being able to do something like this and send kids to Camp GoodTimes where they can just be kids and have fun is an honour.” The 2017 Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock wraps up October 6th in Victoria.

Boyd notes that community support in the Tri-Port area has been phenomenal. Riders travelled through the North region this past weekend.

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After months of training, riders hit the road as part of the 20th annual Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock on Saturday.

Media Rider with Vista Radio's 1240 Coast AM, Sandra Boyd, says there are many emotions running through her mind as the Tour gets going.

"I feel excited. I feel anxious, and I feel nervous. Just a ton of emotions are going on through my head right now because everything that we've worked so hard for since March is finally coming to fruition."

Boyd says the training has been quite heavy since starting last spring.

"At the beginning of it all, I felt overwhelmed and I felt sore. As it progressed and I got stronger, things got better. I really, really had to learn how to work the hills with my gears so that was very tough." Boyd notes that as difficult as it was, the training that was provided was in-depth and the trainers did a fantastic job.

She says that there were a number of factors to why she decided to take part in this year's ride.

"Knowing I can make a difference with kids by raising the money and sending them to Camp GoodTimes and getting to know the families in my [Tri-Port] area that have kids with cancer was a huge deciding factor."

Boyd notes that before the adventure began, she didn't know how to even ride a bike, but took on the challenge because she knew she was supporting a great cause.

Riders will be in the Tri-Port area this weekend, covering Port Alice, Port Hardy and Port McNeill. They'll travel down Island as the days go on, arriving in Campbell River on Tuesday and in the Comox Valley on Wednesday before wrapping things up in Victoria on October 6th.

For more on the Tour de Rock, visit www.tourderock.ca.

To donate directly to Sandra's efforts, visit her Tour page at www.tourderock.ca/dt_team/boyd/.

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The 2016 Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock has come to a close.

Riders wrapped up the two week journey this weekend in Victoria. North Island rider Brent Shemilt says it was incredible to see the community come out to support the cause.

He notes the biggest thing is how many great people are out there who support causes like this.

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Shemilt says being a part of tour has been an incredible experience and it's hard to believe the two weeks are already over. The 2016 Tour de Rock raised $1,278,065 for the Canadian Cancer Society and pediatric cancer research.

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Imagine riding 1,100 kilometres across the island for two weeks on your bicycle with 19 other police officers.
That's exactly what North Vancouver Island traffic services officer Jean Belanger is doing for the Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock.
As a current runner, Belanger finds the training challenging, but rewarding.

If you want to support his journey, you can buy tickets for the Tour de Rock raffle for only $10, or donate at tourderock.ca

The Cops for Cancer team will be cycling through Campbell River September 22.

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