The sun broke through the clouds just as 11 cyclists with the Tour de North arrived at their final stop in Williams Lake Thursday, Sept. 26.
"I'm happy we made it, it was an amazing journey just seeing all the people that this fundraising is helping," said Sharleen Bast, a member of the 150 Mile Volunteer Fire Department, who led the tour to the finish line. It rained on six of the seven days of their journey which began in Dawson Creek.
"Shar was awesome, she's so goal-oriented I knew she could do it," said Bast's mother-in-law, Brigitta Bast.
The cyclists' arrival was followed by a closing ceremony in the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex, where they were greeted by family, friends, mayor Surinderpal Rathor and members of local emergency services.
Local firefighter and paramedic Jamie MacPherson, who has been with Cops for Cancer for 10 years, was unable to ride this year but greeted the Tour upon their arrival. Also present with his family was Duncan Eckert, a six-year-old boy from Williams Lake who was diagnosed with leukemia in June.
So far the Tour de North has raised $144,940 for cancer research and is continuing to accept donations and hope to reach $200,000 by the end of the year.
