For a second year, twin brothers Bennett and Weston Openshaw will be seeing the annual Cops for Cancer Tour de Valley ride off in 91原创.
Diagnosed with the same type of cancer, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, within a few months of each other, in 2022, the twins were declared honourary members of the fundraising ride, along with older brother Jackson.
Mom, Alisha, said when the twins appeared at last year鈥檚 Tour de Valley start, also in 91原创, they had both just been diagnosed.
鈥淭he very beginning of treatment last year,鈥 is how she described it.
鈥淭hey were kind of full of energy. And then, during this year, they had a really tough go, and now they鈥檙e kind of coming out of it.鈥
Bennett and Weston are back to their 鈥渘ormal energetic selves and their treatment is a lot less intense now,鈥 Alisha told the 91原创 Advance Times.
Cops for Cancer has been keeping in touch.
鈥淭hey have been incredible with us,鈥 Alisha said.
鈥淭hey reach out every couple weeks checking up on us. They go out of their way to make special days and moments for all of the kids. They get things together for their birthdays and they are reaching out all the time,鈥 Alisha enthused.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e been amazing for us this past year.鈥
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The first day of the Tour is Friday, Sept. 15, with the opening ceremony is at 91原创 Fine Arts School and the ride getting under way at 9:30 a.m.
Six school stops are anticipated, as well as the 91原创 RCMP detachment, and Applewood 91原创 Nissan (a longtime supporter and sponsor for Tour de Valley, this year Applewood is the presenting sponsor for all four Cops for Cancer Tours in the province).
Cops for Cancer started in 1997, when Edmonton Staff Sgt. Gary Goulet convinced his fellow officers to shave their heads in support of a five-year-old boy who was being ridiculed at school for being bald due to chemotherapy.
It has become the largest national charitable funder of childhood cancer research, with an .
To learn more, pledge a rider, or make a donation, visit .
Approximately, and 110 die from the disease.
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