Karen Cryer admittedly isn’t a great skater, but she loves to pedal.

This is why the avid cyclist leaves the ice hockey portion of Cops for Cancer fundraising to the weekend warriors who have the ability to balance themselves on narrow blades of steel.

Donations made to the Canadian Cancer Society through Cops for Cancer are used to fund life-saving research and caring support programs to reduce cancer’s impact on children and their family.

Cryer was an organizer of Saturday afternoon’s Guns and Hoses charity hockey game benefiting Cops For Cancer. 

The third annual game at the Langley Events Centre pitted law enforcement personnel against firefighters, and this year featured a rubber match, with the teams splitting victories the first two years the charity game has taken place.

The firefighters won the inaugural game, and the RCMP squad grabbed the victory last year. 

“We’ve got a trophy that we give out, so it’s a tiebreaker for this year,” Cryer said prior to the game. 

On Saturday, the “Hoses” (a.k.a. firefighters) outscored the “Guns” 8-6 to win the trophy, and bragging rights.

The game raised more roughly $2,500, surpassing last year’s total of just under $2,000. 

The event was promoted through media and through Facebook, Twitter, emails, and word of mouth.

Meanwhile, several in law enforcement raise funds on the seat of a bike each year.

In late September and into early October, Cryer, who has been an RCMP member for eight years, does her part for the cause by participating in the for Cops For Cancer Tour de Valley, a nine-day journey to as far away as Boston Bar. The trip spans more than 800 kilometres in total.

“It averages to about 100 kilometres a day,” said Cryer, who was on the support crew for the 2013 Ride. “Last year we had about nine days of rain, so we’re hoping for a little bit less this year.” 

The cycling convoy consists of law enforcement and emergency services personnel. 

Cryer, who chairs the Tour de Valley committee, has a personal connection with cancer – her dad Thomas passed away from colon cancer in 1996. 

This year’s journey had the cyclists ride from Aldergrove to Boston Bar, then south to Tsawwassen and White Rock.

“It’s an amazing experience every year,” Cryer said. “You meet so many different people and it’s a great cause to raise money for, as well. We have junior team members and basically, we raise money for them. A lot of people say that police and firefighters are heroes but for us, it’s the kids who are heroes. That’s why we do it.”

As for her involvement in a future Guns and Hoses game, Cryer will remain on dry land, and on the safe side of the boards.

“I’ll ride a bike,” she laughed. “I’m not that good of a skater.”