Parksville Coun. Adam Fras will be one of the guest riders on the Cops for Cancer 2022 Tour de Rock team that will ride from Port Alice to Victoria, Sept. 24 to Oct. 7.
This year’s team was introduced at a ceremony held at Saanich’s Tillicum Elementary on Friday, May 6. Thirteen-year-old Lily Lecinana of Sooke, a childhood cancer survivor and former junior rider, handed out the jerseys to riders.
Fras, who is a staunch follower of the tour since it was started in 1998, still can’t believe he is riding in the tour.
“It feels very surreal,” said Fras. “It’s been a dream for a long time. I can remember when it started out. This year is its 25th anniversary.”
This year’s tour members include Kyle Dornan, Port Hardy RCMP; Bonnie Logan, Campbell River Fire Department; Steve Scott, Courtenay Volunteer Fire Rescue; Josh Wilson, CFB Comox; Terry Crawford, Nanaimo RCMP; Rachelle Cole, B.C. Emergency Health Services; Rick Geddes, District of Ucluelet Fire; Kenn Mount, Central Saanich Fire Department; Josh Peterson, CFB Esquimalt; Karen Robinson, Pat Bryant, Lindsay Blackett, Trent Edwards, Saanich Police Department; Chris Van Swieten, Tristan Williams, VicPD. Other guest riders include the North Island’s Robin Campbell: B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police representative Tiffany Parton; media rider Anna McMillan from CTV Vancouver Island and Saanich Elementary principal Jeff Duyndam.
READ MORE: Tour de Rock rebirth: 2022 rider team unveiled at south Island school
Fras said he was offered to apply for the Tour de Rock in 2020 and he started training for it. But his plans got derailed for two years due to COVID-19 that forced the event to be cancelled. A modified tour with alumni riders kept the fundraising initiative going for pediatric cancer research, family supports and Camp Goodtimes.
“I was asked if I wanted to do it again and I said ‘absolutely,’” said Fras, an avid cyclist.
The objectives of the tour, Fras said, have been an inspiration for him and has motivated him to be involved in a number of bike rides for charity.
“It’s pretty meaningful to be in the tour,” said Fras, who is also a former volunteer firefighter in the Parksville Fire Department. “I love helping out, volunteering in the community, helping out families. There’s nothing better helping kids to have the best times of their lives especially during such challenging times. As a father as well, I can only imagine what the families go through. I hear stories and it’s pretty heart-wrenching hearing what a child goes through. It’s incredible to be in this position to carry the torch and step in there to help kids.”
Fras is aiming to raise $15,000 for Cops for Cancer and anyone wishing to help him reach his goal, you can donate at https://support.cancer.ca/site/TR;jsessionid=00000000.app275a?team_id=488164&fr_id=28328&pg=team&NONCE_TOKEN=FE0556B954B613B5882B88D524CA5E23