Prince George, B.C.-  This year may be one of the most challenging for the annual Cops for Cancer Tour de North.

The  7 day endurance  cycling event   involves a team of RCMP members and Emergency Services personnel from  throughout  North District  riding to raise funds and connect with children in communities along the way.  All dollars raised go to  research for childhood cancers and to  Camp Goodtimes,  where  children on a cancer journey can  just be  kids again.

This year,  the  route   will see cyclists travel from Williams Lake to Dawson Creek.  The  actual  start location, team make up and some fundraising events  have been  challenged by the  wildfires.

With the RCMP  pulling as many resources as possible to help in areas  under evacuation or alert,   and the smoky conditions in  the  Cariboo,  some team members have not been  able to  do the  training  necessary to enable them to  be in the physical shape they will need to  be part of the ride.

The wildfires also meant the  cancellation  of some  fundraising events,  yet, Tour de North Coordinator, Erin Reynolds says despite  the challenges she is amazed  at how people are stepping up to help the cause “Yes there has been chaos this summer and people have so many  other higher priorities to be thinking about from the perspective of keeping their homes and their families together, but it’s amazing to me how quickly  people come back to the priority of Cops for Cancer and Tour de North.”

Reynolds says despite the challenges,  the Tour de North will go forward “We won’t be cancelling and we won’t be changing the route ( to the  alternate east west  run).”

If smoke conditions are such that it is unhealthy for  the riders to start the journey in Williams Lake, then the start may be moved to Prince George.  But there are still a couple of weeks  before such a decision would have to be made.

She says  they are trying to be  sensitive to the hardships  so many in the  Cariboo are facing in the wake  of the wildfires, “The need doesn’t  go away for kids with cancer, but sometimes it needs to be put on the shelf for a little bit  so people  can deal with the more pressing problems  they are facing.”

The Tour de North is  scheduled to kick off on September 12 in Williams Lake,  with a fund raising “jail and Bail” in Prince George when the team arrives in P.G. on the 13th.