VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C. - It's an annual tradition that tests the limits of its participants, but it's all for a great cause.

The 2018 Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock is officially underway. Riders are on the road after leaving the Tri-Port area Sunday morning. The yearly event helps raise funds for cancer research and helps kids battling cancer go to Camp Goodtimes.

Camp Goodtimes is a place where kids can forget about the disease they're battling. More on the camp can be found via this link.

The Tour de Rock sees the group of riders, which includes police, first responders and media personalities, travel from the top tip of Vancouver Island all the way down to Victoria.

Along the way, the riders stop in the different communities across the island, and take part in events like head shaves and pancake breakfasts. For the North Island region, the participants will be in Campbell River on Tuesday, September 25th.

The group will make stop at local elementary schools and will host the Boston Pizza Mix and Mingle event Tuesday evening.

Riders will travel to the Comox Valley come Wednesday, stopping by Comox Valley Dodge (4847 Island Highway North), and then having lunch at Boston Pizza in the Driftwood Mall plaza.

The Red Serge Spaghetti Dinner will take place Wednesday night at Comox's École au Coeur de l'île. A breakfast will be held Thursday morning at Thrifty Foods on Lerwick Road.

After visiting Cumberland, the riders will make their way towards Union Bay, then Qualicum and Parksville.

The grand finale will take place in Victoria on Friday, October 5th.

For a full schedule of events and detailed itinerary, visit tourderock.ca.

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Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock riders arrived in the Comox Valley on Wednesday.

Local RCMP rider Dirk Finkensiep says being a part of the Tour is an honour, and a great opportunity to make a difference in the fight against cancer. He notes that although the ride has been tiring, it's for a wonderful cause and that's what keeps them going.

"Things are getting a little bit sore, and I think that's sort of an around-the-team thing. That's to be expected and it's a very small price to pay for something like this. The kids that are fighting the fight [against cancer], they've got this on their hands every day. We get some sore legs, we get to go home afterwards so we're the lucky ones and we want to make sure that they [the kids] can join us and do that as well."

The Comox Valley RCMP rider says they've had the opportunity to meet families affected by cancer, which has been a huge inspiration along the journey.

"Probably the one that has affected me the most was on the very first day, even before we started riding. One of the families started talking to us about their daughter that they had unfortunately lost a couple years ago [to cancer]. That was certainly an eye-opener and a bit of a tearjerker for the entire team before we even got on our bikes, but it all showed us once again why we're doing this."

Finkensiep says the community support has been heartwarming, and the crowds have grown as they've gone further down Island and as the populations grow. The Tour wraps up in Victoria on October 6th.

Riders will be on hand at the Red Surge Spaghetti Dinner tonight at École Au Coeur de l'île in Comox.

For more on the 2017 Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock, visit www.tourderock.ca.

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Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock riders travel from Campbell River to the Comox Valley on Wednesday.

Media Rider with Vista Radio Sandra Boyd says it's been quite the experience so far.

Boyd says her biggest motivating factors are the children that riders are helping out.

"A lot of kids don't realize that kids with cancer, they don't get to go to school. They're 9 times out of 10 sitting in the hospital waiting for the next chemo treatment or radiation treatment," she says.

Boyd adds that "being able to do something like this and send kids to Camp GoodTimes where they can just be kids and have fun is an honour." The 2017 Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock wraps up October 6th in Victoria.

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After months of training, riders hit the road as part of the 20th annual Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock on Saturday.

Media Rider with Vista Radio's 1240 Coast AM, Sandra Boyd, says there are many emotions running through her mind as the Tour gets going.

"I feel excited. I feel anxious, and I feel nervous. Just a ton of emotions are going on through my head right now because everything that we've worked so hard for since March is finally coming to fruition."

Boyd says the training has been quite heavy since starting last spring.

"At the beginning of it all, I felt overwhelmed and I felt sore. As it progressed and I got stronger, things got better. I really, really had to learn how to work the hills with my gears so that was very tough." Boyd notes that as difficult as it was, the training that was provided was in-depth and the trainers did a fantastic job.

She says that there were a number of factors to why she decided to take part in this year's ride.

"Knowing I can make a difference with kids by raising the money and sending them to Camp GoodTimes and getting to know the families in my [Tri-Port] area that have kids with cancer was a huge deciding factor."

Boyd notes that before the adventure began, she didn't know how to even ride a bike, but took on the challenge because she knew she was supporting a great cause.

Riders will be in the Tri-Port area this weekend, covering Port Alice, Port Hardy and Port McNeill. They'll travel down Island as the days go on, arriving in Campbell River on Tuesday and in the Comox Valley on Wednesday before wrapping things up in Victoria on October 6th.

For more on the Tour de Rock, visit www.tourderock.ca.

To donate directly to Sandra's efforts, visit her Tour page at www.tourderock.ca/dt_team/boyd/.

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Training is underway for the upcoming fall Tours for Cops for Cancer. The Tour de Rock and Tour de Coast get underway in September.

Comox Valley rider Marc Yeon says participants are training hard to get into shape for the event - both physically and mentally.

"Mentally it's getting used to everything and adjusting [and] just knowing that there are gonna be hard days but you can always push through it," he says.

Yeon notes that, "it's very easy to push through a long and painful bike ride but it's nothing compared to what people who are suffering with cancer - both people themselves and their families and people involved."

The 2017 Tour de Coast starts September 20th, while the Tour de Rock starts September 23rd.

For further details on Cops for Cancer and the annual event, visit: cancer.ca.

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The 2016 Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock has come to a close.

Riders wrapped up the two week journey this weekend in Victoria. North Island rider Brent Shemilt says it was incredible to see the community come out to support the cause.

He notes the biggest thing is how many great people are out there who support causes like this.

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Shemilt says being a part of tour has been an incredible experience and it's hard to believe the two weeks are already over. The 2016 Tour de Rock raised $1,278,065 for the Canadian Cancer Society and pediatric cancer research.

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The 2016 Tour de Rock has come to a close.

Riders wrapped up the two week journey down Vancouver Island in Victoria on Friday night.

North Island rider Brent Shemilt says it was incredible to see the community come out to support the cause. He notes that the biggest thing is how many great people there are around the world who work to help out their communities and causes like this.

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Shemilt says being a part of tour has been an incredible experience and it's hard to believe the two weeks is already over.

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Tour de Rock riders have left the Comox Valley to continue their journey down Vancouver Island.

Rider Trevor Mack says it's been both a physical and emotional journey. He says the junior riders have been incredibly inspirational and a great source of motivation throughout the trek.

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Mack says the ride and the welcome they've received in each community has been more than he expected, which has made all the hard work worth it.

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The riders are in Oceanside today and will tackle the hump tomorrow. Visit the ride website for a full schedule of the 2016 ride.

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The Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock rolled into the Comox Valley today.

The cycling tour helps raise funds for pediatric cancer and cancer research.

Rider Curtis Mitchell with CFB Comox says it's been a wonderful experience so far, and the support has been incredible. He says they've received a lot of congratulatory honks from commuters, high-fives from community members and cheers all around.

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Mitchell says his 2 junior riders are always on his mind and a huge source of inspiration.

Tonight - the riders will take part in a special spaghetti dinner in Comox before traveling 81 kilometres as they make their way to Parksville tomorrow.

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The Tour de Rock rolls into Campbell River later today. Rider Curtis Mitchell says the 147 kilometre ride to Sayward was challenging, but it's all worth it. He notes that kids and people with cancer face a much tougher challenge in life - which he uses as motivation on the ride.

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Mitchell says they'll be making several stops around Campbell River once they arrive in town. The riders will be stopping off at different schools in the area - speaking to students about the cause being supported.

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The Tour will be heading to the Comox Valley on Wednesday.

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