On Tuesday (Day 6) the Cops for Cancer Tour de Valley team was joined by some special guests - two junior team members.
The two youngsters, both waging their own battles against cancer, rode with the support crew and made appearances at many of the stops. And there were many stops on this day.
We visited 11 different schools in Abbotsford throughout the day - a new tour record for one day.
The energy that comes from those school visits is almost electric. It's truly been an awesome experience to ride into a gym full of cheering kids who are so excited just to see you. We all kind of secretly feel like rock stars.
The stars of our day, however, were the two junior team members who shared the day with us.
The junior team is a small band of children fighting cancer that take part in many Cops for Cancer events.
As riders, we were honoured to meet them and their families. They helped bring extra inspiration to our ride today, which included many of Abbotsford's hills.
There was one tiny moment from the day that really stood out for me, a small one that could have easily been lost in the calamity that ensues at a school visit.
Above the noise of the riders interacting with the students lined up to see them, I heard a little girl laughing. It was the sound of pure, unadulterated joy and it rose above all the other noise.
I looked over to see the little junior team member running in circles, being chased by a rider, her little head thrown back and a huge smile on her face as she giggled like only a little girl can.
She didn't sound like she was sick or had cancer. She sounded like a regular little girl. Hopefully, in that moment and throughout the day, she felt like one.
Delta Optimist reporter Jessica Kerr is the media rider with the 2011 Canadian Cancer Society Cops for Cancer Tour de Valley team. You can also follow the journey on her blog at www.mybigride.wordpress.com.
