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Campbell River’s Tour de Rock rider to hold a jail and bail fundraiser

Virginia Bessette is looking for people to send to jail.
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Cst. Virginia Bessette from the Campbell River RCMP Detachment is riding in this years Tour de Rock.

Virginia Bessette is looking for people to send to jail.

How to get out? Fundraise your bail money for Tour de Rock.

This year’s Campbell River RCMP representative on the annual Cops for Cancer fundraiser is aiming to raise $25,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society and the jail and bail on Sept. 12 will be her last big push before the ride.

“It’s such a great cause,” Bessette said. “There’s not anyone who hasn’t been affected by cancer in some way shape or form. It is definitely something I always said I wanted to be a part of and it is great that I can do so.”

Before joining the RCMP Bessette lived in Port Hardy. That was where she was first involved in Tour de Rock.

“I had a friend who was doing it so I was able to assist her,” she said. “I saw it come through a couple years and it was neat to see the riders come in and see all the work that goes into it.”

This year the first training day in March was cancelled due to snow, but the team has been meeting up three times a week since April to train.

“It is a big time commitment, but what’s a couple months of my life considering families with cancer have to deal with this, it just turns their worlds upside down,” Bessette said. “It takes years of their lives that they are going to hospitals and doing this and doing that.”

The team does one long ride, one speed ride and one day of hill training a week. Bessette usually has to drive down-Island to meet up with the team, but they have done Mt. Washington twice.

“I actually sort of like the hills, that might be my favourite,” Bessette said. “It’s a good challenge.”

Before starting training, Bessette said she probably hadn’t been on a bike for a year, and though she did participate in short triathlons, she didn’t train for the cycling portion.

“I’m pretty active in general,” she said. “I like a bit of a challenge. It’s fun.”

On top of fundraising, Bessette said it’s hard hearing the sad stories.

“I’d say the emotional aspect sometimes can be challenging,” she said.

So far, Bessette’s family hasn’t been affected by cancer directly, which she said is lucky, but she knows it is only a matter of time.

And so, on Sept. 23 she will ride across the Island.

To make a donation go to http://www.tourderock.ca/dt_team/bessette/

To contact Bessette about participating in the jail and bail event email virginiabessette@gmail.com.

The Canadian Cancer Society Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock is a fundraising event that raises money for pediatric cancer research and support programs for children with a history of cancer. The Tour de Rock team cycles from one end of the Vancouver Island to the other, covering 1,000 kilometres and visiting more than 27 generous communities along the way.

This year marks 20 years since the first Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock ride. This year’s ride takes place from Sept. 23 to Oct. 6.

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