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Boston Pizza hosts Amazing Race viewing party in aid of Cops for Cancer

Williams Lake’s own RCMP Const. Taylor Callens is a finalist on The Amazing Race Canada
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Williams Lake RCMP Const. Taylor Callens (left) thanks Jason Ouimet, the owner of Boston Pizza, for hosting the viewing party, which was also a fundraiser for Cops for Cancer as Callens is part of the Williams Lake RCMP team.

Boston Pizza was busy Tuesday evening during a viewing party of The Amazing Race Canada with Williams Lake’s own RCMP officer Taylor Callens.

It was difficult to hear the TVs around the restaurant because so many people showed up to cheer for Callens and his sister, Langley RCMP officer Courtney Callens, who make up Team Mountie.

When it was revealed that Team Mountie had achieved first place in the Final 4 round and was moving onto the final round, which will be aired Tuesday, Sept. 11, many people came forward to personally congratulate Callens or get their photo taken with him.

One fan asked Callens if he got to keep the tutu he wore in one episode, to which he answered “not at all, not even the leotards.”

Read more: Amazing Race experience ‘unlike anything I could have imagined:’

Because they won first place, they won a trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“Now it secured our place in the Final 3, we’ve got a shot for $4 million, two new vehicles and a trip around the world so it’s very exciting,” Callens told the Tribune.

The experience has been amazing, he added.

“It’s one of those things where you’re never going to have another opportunity again in your life like that, so my sister and I seized every moment that we could. It’s going to be fun when we are 80 years old and we can look back and laugh at it.”

Filming of the TV series lasted about five weeks from start to finish.

They went to Toronto for a week to learn how to be filmed and the whole race involved about four weeks of their time.

When asked how he and his sister ended up on the show, he said because it was the Heroes Edition, the show’s producers were looking for heroes in communities.

“Some people were nominated by members of their community, for us, we did a submission video. We outlined how my sister is an RCMP member and what we do for our jobs and what we do in our communities. I guess they also thought that we were funny and decided to put us on TV.”

As for having to keep the results a secret, Callens said that’s been a lot of fun.

“It’s filmed the middle of April until the middle of May so everyone knows what happened. We are sworn to secrecy. Our lips are sealed.”

When the final episode screens on Tuesday, Sept. 11, he will be in Toronto.

“I think people here are going to do a viewing party but I have to fly to Toronto because everyone on the race has to do an aftershow. I’ll be watching it in Toronto, and then the next morning I’ll be on CTV etalk.”

Callens decided to hold a viewing party as a fundraiser for Cops for Cancer, as he is a member of the Williams Lake RCMP team that will ride from Prince George to Prince Rupert, Sept. 14 - 20.

Read more: Cops for Cancer Tour de North ready to ride

As Callens introduced the members of the team that were present, he said the race will raise money for kids with cancer.

“First and foremost I want to thank Jason Ouimet, who owns Boston Pizza. I asked him last Saturday if we could hold a viewing party and he didn’t hesitate,” Callens said.

Ouimet told the Tribune he was donating 10 per cent of the evening’s meal sales toward Cops for Cancer.

“It was super awesome to host this. I like the fact that we have someone in the community who is on one of those reality show, it’s a great opportunity. Then to tie it in with the Cops for Cancer was just amazing.”

On his end it was easy to organize, Ouimet said.

Cops for Cancer will also be hosting its annual Jail and Bail fundraiser at Spirit Square on Wednesday, Sept. 12 from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. where Cariboo residents can have a person in the community ‘arrested’ and locked in a mock prison cell at Spirit Square.

Additionally, Isaac Perreault-Labbe, one of the other riders, is organizing a Cops for Cancer fundraising gala, taking place Saturday, Oct. 6.

The event will feature a dinner and dance and silent auction at the Gibraltar Room in the Cariboo Memorial Complex.

“I’ve hired a DJ and they will play all kinds of music,” he said.

Tickets are available by contacting him at the Williams Lake RCMP 250-392-6211.



news@wltribune.com

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Monica Lamb-Yorski

About the Author: Monica Lamb-Yorski

A B.C. gal, I was born in Alert Bay, raised in Nelson, graduated from the University of Winnipeg, and wrote my first-ever article for the Prince Rupert Daily News.
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