Cops for Cancer is gearing up for its annual cycling fundraiser to support children and their families affected by cancer, and the Tour de Coast team held a kickoff event recently.
“I am happy to say that Cpl. Shawn Blakeway is the very first Cops for Cancer rider for the Pitt Meadows RCMP,” said Staff Sgt. Michelle Luca, the officer in charge at Pitt Meadows. “We are very proud of Cpl. Blakeway for stepping up to represent our detachment and fundraise for such an important cause.
“As an alumni rider myself, I know how important this ride is and how valuable our involvement is in raising funds for cancer research and sending kids to Camp Goodtimes.”
Blakway’s Cops for Cancer page is online at support.cancer.ca
Const. Jordan Sheilds will be the participant from the Maple Ridge RCMP this year.
“I am proud to be participating in Tour de Coast, an incredible event where local police agencies and emergency service personnel cycle along the BC Coast to support children and families living with cancer and beyond,” he said.
He also has a Cops for Cancer page online at cancer.ca
The Cops for Cancer Tour de Coast kickoff was held at Scott Creek Middle School in Coquitlam on May 20. The Canadian Cancer Society announced the 27th team of riders registered for the 2026 cycling event to launch the next four months of training before cycling 800 km over 8 days this September. The 2026 team includes 50 law enforcement, first responders and guest riders from across the Lower Mainland, Sea to Sky, and Sunshine Coast.
Tour de Coast is a partnership between the Canadian Cancer Society and emergency services personnel, raising funds to advance world-leading childhood cancer research and support Camp Goodtimes. The camp at Loon Lake in Maple Ridge gives families of children diagnosed with cancer the opportunity to spend time together in a stress-free and medically supervised environment.
“What makes Cops for Cancer so special are the hearts behind it,” says Samantha Falconer, director, Cops for Cancer at the Canadian Cancer Society. “Every rider takes on this challenge with intention, spending countless hours training hard, leaning on one another, and riding to give hope to children and families whose lives have been affected by cancer. That kind of dedication is what makes this collective effort so powerful.”
In 2025, approximately 1,000 children under the age of 15 were expected to have faced a cancer diagnosis. Thanks to sustained investment in research, the five-year survival rate has risen to 86 per cent across childhood cancers – up from 77 per cent in the early 1990s when the first Cops for Cancer tour took place.
Yet survival is not the end of the story. Nearly two out of three children will face long-term or late effects from treatment, underscoring the urgent need for continued research and comprehensive support for families.
The Canadian Cancer Society has invested more than $11 million over the past five years into the promising science to save lives today and improve lives for generations to come.
“Camp Goodtimes gave us a lot of encouragement. I saw so many kids there staying healthy and living normal lives,” said Kate, whose son Harry was diagnosed with leukemia in 2020. “It helped me believe my son would grow up well too, and it showed me we’re not alone. There’s a whole community supporting us.”
The Tour de Coast team will set out on Sept. 11, beginning in Vancouver and ending on Sept. 18.
To learn more about the program or make a donation, visit www.copsforcancer.ca.
Another Pitt Meadows resident is part of Cops for Cancer, as Blair Tanino is a member of the Delta Police, and is part of the Tour de Valley team.
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