A new event is being planned to honour Kira Short, the six-year-old Maple Ridge girl who passed away this past week after a two-year battle with cancer.
The Ride for Kira is planned for Sept. 17, to support her family, Peter Short and Rayanne Tupman.
It is to start at the Tim Horton’s near 203rd Street in Maple Ridge, and all bikes and cars are welcome.
Registration is 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.
All participants are asked to donate a boxed toy to be donated to B.C. Children’s Hospital.
Short thanked the community for their support.
“From the bottom of our hearts – we lost our daughter way to soon – I just want to extend a thank-you … “
Kira passed away on Tuesday.
Her family had recently been told that she had four months to live.
The Maple Ridge father was told earlier this month that his daughter had four more months to live. But her condition worsened over the weekend as the tumour in her neck pressed on one of her main arteries.
A vigil is also being planned in her memory. A “Candle Vigil for Kira, Our Warrior Princess” will take place Friday, Aug. 25 in Memorial Peace Park, 8 p.m.
Her father and a pastor will say a few words. People are asked to bring glow-sticks, electronic candles or any non-flame source of light “that will show us you are there for Kira and her family,” said Amber Larlee, who’s organizing the event.
Parking is available on the street in downtown Maple Ridge or underground beneath the town centre. Donation boxes will be available to help the family.
If you can’t make it to the vigil, contributions can still be made to the go-fund me account at https://www.gofundme.com/kirashort.
Peter had planned on taking Kira into Canuck Place Children’s Hospice the last week of July for treatment for pain, then began planning an early Christmas event, in which the entire community was getting involved.
But she never left the hospice.
“The last thing we did together, we went camping up at Golden Ears,” Peter said Tuesday.
“She was in so much pain that, she looked at me and she said, ‘Dad, I just want to sleep. Wake me up so we can go camping again.’”