With two dozen preschool-age children jumping and cheering, the atmosphere was literally electric outside Saanich Commonwealth Place Thursday afternoon.
As the 22 riders with Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock rolled up to the front of the building, the kids from Kiddie Capers Preschool waved wide-eyed from the sidewalk.
The kids wore handmade Tour de Rock headbands and held blue and yellow flags, official colours of the Cops for Cancer campaign.
All the kids were wildy enthusiastic, but none more so than Brooklyn Robinson, daughter of rider and Saanich police Const. Steve Robinson.
Without pause, Brooklyn chanted as loud as she could: "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" until he pulled up in his Tour de Rock gear and gathered his daughter close for a hug. The two had not seen each other for almost two weeks as dad biked from Port Alice to Saanich with the rest of the team. The riders departed from Port Alice on Sept. 25 and arrived in Saanich today (Oct.6).
Inside Commonwealth Place, the preschool class presented the riders with a cheque for $368 for the Canadian Cancer Society, then sang "The Wheels on the Bike."
The Tour de Rock riders made several more stops around Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay and the Saanich Peninsula today.
Tomorrow (Oct. 7), they'll stop at various locations in Esquimalt, Saanich and Victoria, before doing their final closing ceremonies at Centennial Square just before 5 p.m.
For more information, see www.bclocalnews.com/tour-de-rock/.
ecardone@vicnews.com