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Cross-Canada ride for Cancer Survivors Kicks off Today at the Hospital for Sick Children

Six Coast-to-Coast Against Cancer cyclists to complete the 7200 kilometer ride in less than 10 days, setting a new record for fastest trans-Canada cycle

Toronto, ON, June 5, 2003 — Today a team of six cyclists unveiled their plans to ride across Canada, non-stop, in an effort to raise money for survivors of cancer. This incredible event will begin on Saturday, June 14 at 7:00 a.m. in Vancouver, British Columbia, and end 10 days later in Halifax, Nova Scotia. During the course of the ride, the team hopes to raise in excess of $500,000 for two important charities working on behalf of cancer survivors: the Childhood Cancer Foundation—Candlelighters Canada and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

This second annual Coast-to-Coast Ride Against Cancer will achieve a milestone for other cyclists to attempt to beat, as the six cyclists complete the 7200 kilometer trek in 10 days or less. All six riders—Jeff Rushton, Kevin Wallace, Scott Graham, Fredrik Carlberg, Hamish Gordon and Jamie Layfield—are experienced long-distance riders within the cycling community of the Greater Toronto Area.

"We have all been touched by cancer at some point in our lives," said Jeff Rushton, one of the two Coast-to-Coast team members that successfully completed last year’s cross-country ride across the southern U.S. "Whether it is a family member or friend, we have all felt the pain of knowing and watching someone close to us battle cancer. This is our way of helping the many people suffering from the disease."

The team of six riders will complete this monumental task by riding in teams of three, five hours on and five hours off. Each rider will put in 10-15 hours of riding a day. By the end of the ten-day period, every team member will have personally cycled approximately 3600 kilometers.

The Coast-to-Coast organizers hope to dedicate each 100 kilometer segment of the ride—72 in total— to a person who has been afflicted with cancer. To that end, the event’s website has a special section where anyone can go to submit a dedication on behalf of a cancer victim or survivor.

Kal Tobias, president and CEO of Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation Canada, stated, "As one of the leading oncology centres in Canada, the Hospital for Sick Children is a natural location for kicking off this incredible fundraising event. We help so many brave children during their ordeal with cancer. The dedications and the tremendous work of people like Jeff Rushton and the Coast-to-Coast team help us share the victories and ultimately beat back the spectre of cancer."

Unique to this ride will be the ability to track the progress of the riders via their website.  Throughout the race, the team will be carrying a Global Positioning Device. With the help of Fujitsu Consulting, Microsoft and TELUS, the ride’s website has been enabled with the ability to update the riders’ position in real-time. In addition, the website will carry digital images and a team log, describing their challenges and thoughts over the ten days of the ride.

"We decided to start this ride on Father’s Day weekend for the very simple reason that all six of us are fathers, and we are putting ourselves through this10 day endurance test for our children and all children," stated Kevin Wallace, the other member of last year’s ride across the U.S.  "Every rider on the team knows that in 10 days, this will all be over for us. However, for the thousands of cancer patients in Canada and the U.S., the battle is never over."

To date, the Coast-to-Coast Against Cancer team has raised in excess of $300,000. Donations can be made by clicking on the "Donate Now" button of the website.

"We can’t thank the Coast-to-Coast team enough for the work they do on behalf of the Lance Armstrong Foundation," said Bianca E. Rodriguez, director of communications for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. "Our Peloton Project depends on organizations like Coast-to-Coast to finance and support the many programs we run to support and encourage cancer survivors."

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About Coast-to-Coast Against Cancer

Coast-to-Coast Against Cancer was founded by Jeff Rushton in 2002 to commemorate his father’s successful battle against cancer. An avid cyclist, Jeff established the annual cycling event as a way of raising awareness and funding for charities intent on supporting individuals and families dealing with this devastating disease.
For more information, please see: www.coasttocoastride.com

About Candlelighters Canada

Candlelighters Canada is dedicated to improving the quality of life for children experiencing the effects of cancer. Through a national network of volunteers, it provides support and resources to families and promotes on-going cancer research, education and survivorship
For more information, please see: www.candlelighters.ca

About Lance Armstrong Foundation

Founded in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, The Lance Armstrong Foundation, is charged with enhancing the quality of life for those living with, through and beyond cancer. The Foundation focuses its activities in the following areas; survivorship education and resources, community programs, national advocacy initiatives, and scientific and clinical research grants.
For more information, please see: www.laf.org

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