After 16 years, the BC Cancer Foundation has decided to end the Tour de Cure.
The annual two-day cycle ride raised funds for the BC Cancer Foundation.
According to the Foundation, this decision was not made lightly, and was guided by rising costs, declining net revenue, and external risks such as extreme climate events and unpredictable weather.
After 16 great years, @bccancerfdn is ending the Tour de Cure. Rising costs, declining revenue & climate events such as heat, smoke & rain led to this difficult decision. Over $131M raised for cancer research—thank you to our community. #BCCancer https://t.co/mvO6O8zBTb pic.twitter.com/cxSQooMmlb
— Tour de Cure (@TourdeCureBC) October 29, 2024
“I’m honestly still processing the news,” said Wheelin’ Warriors of the North Founder and Captain Karin Piche.
“I just got off the phone with Sarah Roth, who is the CEO of the BC Cancer Foundation, so I was told by her, which I really appreciate. It was a good conversation. It may be the end of Tour de Cure itself, but there’s lots of opportunity I think for other things to happen in our community and we had a short discussion about that.”
Piche added they’ll be in touch with each other in regards to future things to support the BC Cancer Centre for the North in Prince George.
In terms of what those things may be, Piche said it’s still up in the air.
Piche said the Wheelin’ Warriors of the North were founded in 2012, but the team’s inaugural ride happened in 2013. She estimated that since then, the team has raised nearly $2 million for cancer research.
“The team, my team, our team, all the team members that participated over the 13 years are near and dear to me,” Piche said.
“I think having touched so many lives and having them touch so many lives, I think to me that’s my biggest memory, not so much a single event or a particular ride or anything, just the number of people that jumped on board, and became part of the Wheelin’ Warriors of the North’s family over the years.”
“I just want to thank the community and all of the riders for all of the support they’ve shown myself and my teammates over the 13 years,” Piche added.
“I’m just overwhelmed with gratitude when it comes to how much everyone has supported us.”
Since 2009, the Tour de Cure has raised more than $131 million for Cancer Research.
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