2 girls take over Alberta RCMP command as part of Kids with Cancer experience

It’s an experience two Alberta girls won’t soon forget.

On Monday, 10-year-old Maya Ferguson from Spruce Grove and 11-year-old Haley Nedeljak from Edmonton got to embrace different aspects of policing.

From piloting drones to operating the bomb disposal robot at the RCMP’s hangar at the Edmonton International Airport, the pair even got the chance to ride in the RCMP helicopter — getting a birds-eye view of the region.

“It was super cool, it wasn’t even nerve-wracking it just felt normal,” Nedeljak said.

“At first I was a bit nervous of taking off but once I got up it was beautiful and very nice,” Ferguson added.

The duo were appointed as co-commanders of the Alberta RCMP. Their experience was made possible thanks to an annual partnership with the RCMP and Kids with Cancer Society.

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“It’s incredible to watch,” said Deputy Commissioner Trevor Daroux, the commanding officer of the Albert RCMP.

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“It’s difficult not to think about what these children and their families have gone through, but then to see the smile on their faces today is great.”

The Kids with Cancer Society dream experience grants unique opportunities like this for children battling cancer.

“Unfortunately a cancer diagnosis can take away a lot of opportunities from children, so being able to give them this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it’s something they can look back on and be like, ‘Wow how amazing it is I got to do this,'” said Bailey Karlstrom, the family services coordinator with the Kids with Cancer Society.