At any given time, cancer holds 10,000 Canadian children in its grip. It robs them, and their families, of the laughter and joy that should be part of every childhood. Riding in the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride will channel my physical, mental and emotional energy into something much greater – helping brave children return to life as regular kids again.



I'll share the road with a crowd of athletes, united in our commitment to the childhood cancer community. Your support is welcome and needed. Please join me in this powerful and inspiring experience by helping to fund important childhood cancer charities across Canada.



About Childhood Cancer:



While the causes of adult cancers include environmental, occupational and lifestyle factors, such as diet, alcohol and smoking, the causes of childhood cancers are, in most cases, unknown.



The types of cancers that occur in children vary greatly from those seen in adults. They tend to occur in different parts of the body, they look different under the microscope and they respond differently to treatment.



Leukemias, brain and other nervous system tumours, lymphomas (lymph node cancers), bone cancers, soft tissue sarcomas, kidney cancers, eye cancers, and adrenal gland cancers are the most common cancers of children.



The stage of growth and development is another important difference between adults and children; the immaturity of children’s organ systems often has important treatment implications.



In the early 1950s, less than 10 percent of childhood cancer patients could be cured. Today, more than 70 percent of children diagnosed with cancer become long-term survivors and the majority of them are considered cured. However, long-term effects of surviving the treatments for childhood cancer can affect these children’s futures.



The National Kids Cancer Ride will fund programs that improve the lives of children living with cancer as well as those recovering from the physical and emotional scars that can be part of survivorship. Beyond the children themselves, their families and friends benefit from on-going support programs provided for by the National Kids Cancer Ride.



For more information of the Foundation’s work, please visit
www.CoastToCoastAgainstCancer.org.