Sharleen Bast, a volunteer firefighter with 150 Mile House Fire Department, will be riding in the September 2025 Tour de North team to raise funds for childhood cancer research.
“It was such a great adventure last year,” said Bast who participated in the Cops for Cancer for the first time in September 2024. Cycling over an 850-kilometre distance starting in Dawson Creek, Bast led a team of 11 riders to the tour’s final destination in Williams Lake on September 26, 2024. By then, the team had raised $144,940.
This year there are 20 cyclists who will be riding from September 12 to the 18 from Prince George to Prince Rupert, an 877-kilometre distance. The team has already raised $26,810 as of Tuesday, May 6 with a final target of $150,000.
“A reason why I’m returning is to keep raising awareness for pediatric cancer and raising money to help send kids to Camp Goodtimes,” Bast said. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Camp Goodtimes is a place for a child diagnosed with cancer and their family to spend time together in a stress-free environment.
“I remember feeling like everyone just got me; they understood what it was like,” said Zoe Mak, a young adult living with cancer, about the camp. “At camp, everyone was openly talking about their diagnosis, their treatment and how they were doing now. It was so empowering for me, that it didn’t feel weird to talk about cancer.”
Bast said it costs $2,000 to send a kid to camp. The funds raised through Cops for Cancer are critical to keeping it running.
“They aren’t the kid with cancer there,” Bast said about Camp Goodtimes. “Usually, these kids are going through treatment for a year so they miss out on having fun like kids should.”
In Canada, an estimated 1,000 children aged 0-14 are diagnosed with cancer each year. In just five years, the Canadian Cancer Society has invested over $13 million towards the cause.
Training for the 2025 tour has already begun, with the team officially announced on Friday, May 2 at Quinson Elementary in Prince George.
To learn more about the program or make a donation, visit www.copsforcancer.ca. To donate to Bast’s or her team’s cause visit the 2025 Tour de North webpage.
