He just may be the oldest participant in this weekend’s fundraiser to fight cancer.
Bridge Lake’s Harry Bishop is 80 years young and according to him, come hell or high water he’s going to take part in the 200 kilometre bike Ride to Conquer Cancer that starts from Vancouver on Saturday.
Besides not being able to get in shape for the ride because he was evacuated to Kamloops for 39 days, Bishop ran into another stumbling block.
“Last Wednesday, I had a detached retina surgery and then I had a visit to the doctor yesterday for a follow-up. He grounded me for the ride, he recommended I don’t ride. So perhaps I wont’, but I’ll ride into the finish line.”
This marks the second year Bishop is taking part in the ride. Of his personal $2,500 pledge goal he has raised over $1,700 so far.
“I saw about it on Facebook and I thought it’s just a bicycle ride so I made all the arrangements and registered and what have you and gave it ago,” says Bishop who has lost many friends and family to cancer.
His brother died of cancer that started in the lymph nodes but spread to his chest.His mother also died of cancer in 1996. When Bishop was 7 years old, he also lost his cousin, also seven, to leukemia. Shortly after this, his cousin’s mother died of breast cancer.
The 9th annual Ride to Conquer Cancer which benefits the BC Cancer Foundation remains BC’s largest cycling fundraiser. For 2017, Riders can select two routes between Vancouver and Seattle.
To date the BC ride has helped raise over $77 million for the BC Cancer Foundation.