Cops for Cancer events held on the Coast in the past two weeks have raised over $11,400 for pediatric cancer research with donations still coming in.
"We celebrated all day Sunday after the events were complete. It was just a phenomenal response," said Deepak Prasad, event manager with the West Coast First Responders Charitable Society.
Last Saturday Prasad organized a kids' street party in the Gibsons Marketplace IGA parking lot during the day and an adult dinner event at the Blackfish Pub in the evening to benefit the Cops for Cancer cause.
He said at one point the street party was overflowing with kids and the annual Blackfish Pub dinner was packed as usual."One special moment at the dinner was when a bandana that one of our Cops for Cancer buddies from Vancouver signed sold for $110 in the raffle," Prasad said.
Members of the Gibsons Fire Department shaved their heads for pledges and everyone enjoyed a steak and prawns dinner, entertainment and prizes.
The two events brought in an estimated $8,149 but that total was upped dramatically when Bobbi Smith added the $3,328 she had raised doing a Cops for Cancer swim between Keats Island and Gibsons.
This is the fourth year Smith has organized and taken part in the swim although she doesn't call herself a swimmer.
"The swim was a challenge to me by my friend Max Morin to raise money for Cops for Cancer. I tried first swimming from the green buoy in the harbour across and when I made it Max said I could swim to Nanaimo, but Keats was more realistic. We thought we might be able to raise $100 but we raised $2,410 the first year," Smith said.
When she worked for the Sunshine Coast RCMP in Gibsons a few years ago, Smith saw Cops for Cancer as a worthy cause to raise money for. The community agreed and each year more people have taken part in the swim and increased donations to the event.
Prasad said he is pleased with the response from the community to all of the fundraisers held recently and he hopes the community will continue to give.
RCMP members Mike Etele and Spencer Mylmok have individual goals of raising $10,000 each before taking part in the Cops for Cancer ride in late September.
"Unfortunately, for now, there is no limit to how much the Canadian Cancer Society will require to find cures for cancer. Sunshine Coast residents can make donations to either of the RCMP offices in Gibsons or Sechelt," Smith said.
Donations can also be made online at www.cancer.ca.
