A father's tribute to his 'little girl lost'
by Tracey Coveart/The Scugog Standard

This Father’s Day, one man and his young son will begin a tandem bicycle tour of remembrance for a daughter and sister that Canadians remember simply as Tori.

Rodney Stafford and his 12-year-old son Daryn will set off from ‘The Whistlers’ - Tori’s Mountain - in Jasper, Alberta, returning to their home in the town of Woodstock, Ontario, on Aug. 9 - 55 days and more than 4,000 km later. Along the way, they will not only remember Tori, who was murdered last year, but also raise awareness about the horrifying frequency with which Canadian children disappear and the provincial Child Find organizations that rally to bring them home.

When eight-year-old Victoria (Tori) Stafford of Woodstock went missing on April 8, 2009, people across the country hoped against hope that the little girl would be returned safely to her family. Those hopes were shattered when Tori’s remains were discovered on July 20, and a nation mourned.

Just five days after he bid farewell to his daughter in a private service, Rodney Stafford set out from Woodstock on his bicycle and rode all the way to Banff, Alberta, on a shoe-string budget. Along the way, he encountered the kindness of strangers who set up fundraisers and organized media coverage of one man’s extraordinary journey, and helped Rodney’s charity, Kilometres for Kids, raise $60,000 in support of provincial Child Find organizations.

A Kilometres for Kids team of children and parents entered The City of Woodstock’s annual Victoria Day Parade this year, capturing two awards: best community service and grand champion.

“We entered the parade last year when we were still looking for Tori and hoping to find her,” said Rodney’s mother Doreen Graichen. “But it was a very different feeling this year. We want the country sit up and take notice of what’s happening to our children and to be aware that there are predators out there.”

While last year’s ride was a tremendous fundraising success, this year’s bike tour, ‘Kilometres for Kids 2: A Sibling Story,’ is more about raising awareness, said Rodney.

“Too many people take the safety of their children for granted,” said Rodney, “but kids are disappearing every day. And it doesn’t have to be in a city of millions. It doesn’t have to be a city at all. It’s happening in small towns and rural routes. Children are disappearing from everywhere.”

In 2006, he said, “there were just over 60,000 children reported missing - and 26,000 were from Ontario alone. The more people we can talk to, the better.”

When The Scugog Standard caught up with Rodney and Daryn, the pair were in their car in Brandon, Manitoba, heading out west with their trailer.

“Jasper has declared Father’s Day, June 20, as Victoria Stafford Day,” said Rodney. That day, father and son will spend several hours on the ‘The Whistlers,’ which people began calling Tori’s Mountain after the little girl’s death. (Tori had visited the mountain in 2008 with her grandmother Doreen.) They will then be treated to a remembrance lunch in Jasper before heading out two days later. Doreen is flying out to meet her son and grandson, and will act as their support team, driving the car and towing the trailer.

Rodney and Daryn will spend 44 days of the 55-day journey on their tandem bike, averaging 92 km a day.

The pair don’t have much in the way of training under their belts - “I’ve been doing a lot of walking,” said Rodney, 34, “and Daryn does a lot of BMX biking” - but they have test-driven the tandem. “We were a little shaky in the beginning but we came together.”

Rodney was overwhelmed by the support he received during the inaugural Kilometres for Kids ride last year and he’s hoping to draw at least as much attention this year.

“The reception I got was great. It got bigger and bigger the further I went. It started out with a few friends in Woodstock and just grew.”

Rodney drove out to Jasper two months ago and worked his way back, setting up accommodations and meals in each town where the father and son team will be staying, publicizing the event and drawing attention to the all-too-frequent horror that is a missing child.

“It’s for Daryn this year,” said Rodney. “I want him to see that what’s going on is well worth it.”

Rodney also wants his son to get the recognition he deserves.

“This is a 12-year-old on a bike, riding 4,000 for Child Find. I just want people to give him a pat on the back.”

Last year, Rodney raised funds for Child Find in each province he rode through. This year, he said, “we’re just asking people who want to donate to give directly to the Child Find organization closest to them.”

Rodney and Daryn will be passing through Port Perry on Aug. 4 and 5, staying overnight with an aunt who lives in the area.

Rodney would like to see people line their route “or just see Daryn as we roll into Port Perry.”

And what about Daryn? “He’s ready to rock,” said Rodney. “He’s got a whole nation behind him. Anyone who knows the story will be riding right there beside him.”

If you would like to organize an event or reception for Kids for Kilometres in Port Perry, call The Scugog Standard at 905-985-6985 or contact Rodney at r_v_stafford@hotmail.com or call 519-608-5778. To make a donation to your provincial Child Find chapter, log on to www.childfind.ca.