Mark Peterse joked with one customer at his Cedarbrook Baker, Deli, and Bistro that his current fundraiser may not be that good for your heart, but it does fight cancer.

Peterse is running a summer-long weekly barbecue event at the deli, located at 41st Avenue and 200th Street.

The sale of burgers, some topped with bacon, along with pastries, will benefit the 2012 Cops for Cancer Tour de Valley ride.

The annual bike ride sees police officers, prison guards, sheriffs and other emergency personnel mount up for a nine-day ride in September.

Before they criss-cross the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, however, they each have to raise thousands of dollars for the cause of fighting childhood cancers.

Peterse isn't just raising money, he's going on the ride himself.

On Saturday, Peterse graduated as one of the most recent members of the Langley RCMP Auxiliary program. He's now a volunteer, part-time police officer, doing some patrol and community outreach duties.

While still training to take on his new duties, and running the deli his father founded in Brookswood, Peterse has also been training to ride with the Cops for Cancer Tour de Valley.

Meeting the junior team members - who are all children in treatment for or recovering from cancer - and the camaraderie of the team, the riding itself has been a motivating experience for Peterse.

"I was hooked," he said.

Like many people, he has a personal reason to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society.

"I lost my best friend to cancer," he said. Other co-workers and family members have also been affected.

The fundraiser will run every Friday over the summer, and Peterse hopes to raise between $3,000 and $5,000, with $2 from every lunch going to the cause.

The barbecues run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Friday at the bakery and deli.

mclaxton@langleyadvance.com