Fighting the good fight

A week of spirited cancer fundraisers came to a close on Wednesday as Shawnigan welcomed Cops for Cancer 2017. 

On a crisp autumn morning, the School turned out with new word shirts and handmade signs to cheer on this year's Tour de Rock team members as they cycled through the Shawnigan gates. In their brief visit, the riders spoke of the inspiration they gain from young people and accepted a cheque from Shawnigan Lake School in the amount of $30,000.

Wednesday's most compelling moment came as recent Shawnigan grad Louise S., who is currently fighting Hogkin's lymphoma, thanked the community for its support.  "Ever since I started battling cancer, people have been calling me their hero," she said. She went on to say that, in her eyes, the steps taken by the Shawnigan community to raise money and the grit and determination displayed by the Cops for Cancer riders should both be celebrated and recognized as significant contributions to the ongoing fight against cancer. 

Later on the same day, Grade 12 student Ben H. rowed a half marathon on an erging machine in the Shawnigan quad.  Completing the 21km ordeal in slightly less than 90 minutes helped Ben raise more than $1,000 toward the cause. 

Wednesday's events came on the heels of four Shawnigan boarding houses participating in the Run for the Cure in Victoria on Sunday and the whole School engaging in a Terry Fox Run around campus on Monday. During this week of cancer fundraising, the School has also seen a record number of students shaving their heads in exchange for donations, while a rotating cast of students took turns sitting for a full hour at a time in chairs suspended above Kaye's Pond to simulate the endurance required to undergo chemotherapy. 

Many of the events of the past week were annual traditions at Shawnigan, while others were new initiatives inspired by staff and students.