From fighting crime to fundraising and training for a marathon of a bike ride it’s all in a day’s work for local RCMP Cst. Rob Gardner.
For the third year in a row, Gardner has joined the 2014 Thomas Alan Budd Foundation Cops for Kids Ride Team, and will leave Kelowna on Friday September 5 on a 10 day, 1,000 km cycling journey across southeastern British Columbia.
The annual Cops for Kids Ride raises funds and awareness for children in medical, physical and traumatic crisis in our region, funding medical equipment, therapies, travel to Children’s Hospital, learning and mobility aids. Since 2001, Cops for Kids has raised more than $2.7 million in support of local children.
During the 10 day ride, Cops for Kids riders will cycle into 18 different communities where they will have meet many children who benefit from this event. Meeting these Little Ambassadors will remind each rider of the challenges they face each day, and it will keep them focused to help better the lives of these children.
“This is my third year in the ride,” said Gardner. “The physical challenge doesn’t get any easier for us cycling all those miles, but our hard work means that the challenges get a little bit easier for the kids who need it most. The items we fund aren’t covered by extended health care benefits or government programs, so these kids need us to help them where we can.”
As a part of the 2014 Cops for Kids Ride, our team will be arriving in Castlegar on Sunday September 7 from Grand Forks at approximately 4:00 p.m. to Boston Pizza where we will do some community presentations to local children, meet with local media and dignitaries. Following their presentations, the hungry team will eat at Boston Pizza before capping off the night at Super 8. Everyone is welcome to join the team for dinner at Boston Pizza.
Cops for Kids provides assistance directly to children who need it most from our region. Due to the overwhelming number of grant requests, they are unable to meet the demands and have established a wait list of children needing essential medical equipment, specialized therapies, and medical travel.
Cops for Kids has the unique opportunity to offer donors and sponsors the most efficient and effective way to make an immediate difference in the life of a child.
They’re anticipating a funding shortfall this year, so donations are appreciated more than ever.