In September I will be participating in an 8-day, 800km charity bike ride through the Fraser Valley and Fraser Canyon with police and other emergency responders to support families impacted by childhood cancer. I am dedicating my ride to the memory of my friends’ daughter Harley, who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma when she was just 4 years old, and passed away this past October.

The money raised from this event supports the Canadian Cancer Society to fuel new paediatric cancer research. Each year it also funds 600 kids and their families to attend Camp Goodtimes, so they can have a chance to just be kids - to have fun and enjoy nature in a medically-supported environment with other families who share their oncology experience.

As both a new resident of Boston Bar and a new member of my local fire department, it is a great pleasure to be able to represent my new community and the firefighting services in this event - because even one child with cancer is one child too many.

Please consider making a donation on my behalf, however big or small. Every donation takes us one step further to ending childhood cancer. Donating online is secure, helps reduce administrative costs, and will automatically generate a donation tax receipt.

A heartfelt thank you for your support!

Diana

A little more about the Canadian Cancer Society’s support for childhood cancer research:

While cancer remains the leading cause of disease-related death in children under the age of 15, in the past 25 years much progress has been made, in part thanks to advancements in cancer research funded by the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) and events like Cops for Cancer. Today more than 84% of children diagnosed with cancer will survive at least five years past diagnosis. Research has led to new and more effective treatments for childhood cancers, and an increase in the number of children who survive into adulthood. CCS is the largest national charitable funder of childhood cancer research in Canada.

A little more about Harley's journey and Camp Goodtimes:

You can learn more about Harley's oncology journey on the Instagram account her mom created @fierce_for_harley.  Harley and her mom Aisha, dad Seb and little brother Levi were all able to attend Camp Goodtimes last summer, and Aisha had this to say about the experience: “Camp Goodtimes is such a special place. We were so taken care of and were able to leave our worries at home for a short while. The volunteers were all so kind and caring and really made my children feel loved and respected. The special moments we shared there as a family will be cherished forever."