He rides for Taylor.
Taylor was Steve Parsons’ eldest child who, for 10 brave years, battled a brain tumour. Sadly, on March 23, 2003, it claimed the 17-year-old’s life.
Over the past five years, the White Rock father and other Team Taylor cyclists have peddled in $80,000 for the Ride to Conquer Cancer.
It’s a cause that Parsons holds dear to his heart.
Besides Taylor, Parsons has lost his grandmother, father and uncle to the disease. “You can’t sit back and do nothing,” he said.
Next week, the wine sales rep will be pouring at BC Uncorked: The Art of Food and Wine, a fundraiser to support Team Taylor on its 2016 Ride to Conquer Cancer, a journey that will see thousands of supporters cycling from Vancouver to Seattle to benefit the BC Cancer Foundation.
Sponsored in part by The Tri-City News, the BC Uncorked gala at Port Moody’s Heritage Woods secondary has become a major draw for the Tri-Cities with guests from as far afield as Washington State and Oregon.
Organizer John Gerum of West Coast Wine said he anticipates the fancy fete on Oct. 24 to sell out as more than 200 wines from 45 companies will be served — most of them from the Okanagan.
Among those pouring are Kettle Valley Winery, Road 13, Township 7, vinPerdu and Cedar Creek Estate Winery.
Often, the 350 guests look for their favourites, Gerum said, but there are others who want to try a new vintage. Still, some will stay with reds while others prefer whites. “You can pick and choose as much as you want.”
The fact that wine owners and principals are making a special trip from the interior of B.C. to the Tri-Cities to pour shows that BC Uncorked has premier status in the industry.
“It’s a very wine-knowledgeable crowd,” Gerum said, adding, “The emphasis of the evening is on wine education. It’s not a drinking fest.”
To pair with the vinos will be savoury appetizers from Tri-City restaurants.
Attendees will be able to taste such treats as smoked salmon and braised pork from eateries like The Boathouse, Orrange and the Westwood Plateau Golf and Country Club.
“The calibre of participating restaurants is increasing and it’s become quite a competition to see who can come up with the best on the night,” Gerum said.
While it’s not a dinner, “You can graze like crazy,” Parsons said with a laugh.
Parsons said the structure will be similar to European events, where guests come to sample-and-snack rather than get intoxicated. “There’s a balance to the night and it’s quite refined.”
Besides the wine and culinary delights, raffle and silent auction prizes will also be available (the grand prize for the raffle is a dinner for 12 catered at your home).
As for providing a safe ride home, Gerum suggests hiring a taxi or bringing along a designated driver as no shuttle bus service is available.
Gerum hopes to see BC Uncorked on equal footing with the Vancouver International Wine Festival one day.
Since it started at the Port Moody Arts Centre, the bi-annual event has grown so big that organizers are looking to expand into the Heritage Woods secondary gym next year to triple the capacity — up to 1,000 people.
“This is a quality event that would put the Tri-Cities on the map,” he said.
• Online tickets for BC Uncorked: The Art of Food and Wine on Saturday, Oct. 24 are $55 plus tax via bcuncorked.com. Meanwhile, to register as a cyclist on Team Taylor 2016 for the Ride to Conquer Cancer, email [email protected].
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