17th Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau: Sherbrooke hosts the departure of the cyclists in the 2-day itinerary

SHERBROOKE, QC, July 5, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Excitement was running high this morning as actor Paul Doucet and the cyclists in the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau first set out from the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS), surrounded by friends, families and partners. Cutting the official ribbon were CHUS general director Patricia Gauthier and 17-year-old Annick Gentès, the heroine of the 2-day itinerary. Presented by Groupe Laroche Estrie, this itinerary will see 26 men and women from the business community cycle 320 kilometres from Sherbrooke to Montreal on July 5 and 6, 2012. Each will cycle with the sole purpose of lending support to Quebec children with cancer. The Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau is well on its way to becoming one of the province's largest fundraising events. This year's objective is to raise more than $2 million for research in pediatric oncology.

"Last year, I joined the Tour not knowing just how much it would change my life. Through this event, we meet some remarkable people, and these encounters help us realize how fragile life is. If I can do my part by cycling 320 kilometres for these families, then I'm glad to do it more than once," said Paul Doucet, spokesperson for the 2-day itinerary.

Four itineraries, one overriding objective
In Quebec City, meanwhile, TVA Québec news anchor Pierre Jobin was at Parc Roland-Beaudin to launch the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau's second 2-day itinerary. Riding with 31 cyclists, the actor will travel to Drummondville before arriving in Montreal on Friday, July 6. On the final day of the Tour, the cyclists in the 2-day itineraries will gather in Lavaltrie, where they will link up with Fondation spokesman Pierre Bruneau and the 125 cyclists departing from Trois-Rivières for the final stretch of kilometres to Montreal.

Pairing based on caring
Throughout the four-day event, children with cancer will be able to encourage participants in a special way thanks to the "pairing based on caring" initiative. Each child with cancer is paired with a cyclist, and each child gets to see his or her photograph on the front of the cyclist's jersey for the duration of the Tour. The cyclists also have a chance to meet their protégés during the tour. These encounters are often unforgettable.

"It's comforting to know that people everywhere get involved in our recovery. I'm very happy to be here and I intend to express my encouragement out loud," said Annick, the heroine of the 2-day itinerary. The Sherbrooke native received her chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments for Ewing's sarcoma in the pediatric oncology unit at the CHUS. She is currently in remission.

CHUS Director General Patricia Gauthier said that it was perfectly natural for the hospital to take part in a second edition of the 2-day itinerary between Sherbrooke and Montreal and thus renew the partnership it proudly established last year. "We salute the departure of the cyclists this morning and their efforts to cycle more than 300 kilometres in support of the fight that children with cancer wage every day. These cyclists are a model of perseverance for children with cancer, and these children are certainly a model for them. We should all mutually inspire courage in one another!"

The Charles-Bruneau pediatric oncology unit at the CHUS
It's important to remember that in June 2011 the Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau announced that it was donating $1 million to the CHUS for purposes of upgrading its pediatric oncology unit. This was an historic donation, marking the first time since it was founded in 1990 that the Fondation has financed a pediatric oncology project outside of Montreal. The redevelopment work is slated to start in January 2013.

Interviews
Please note that the heroine and all the cyclists in the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau will be available for interviews during the two-day event. To request an interview, please contact on-site public relations officer Charles Durivage at 514 894-4186 or David Letky at 1 877 256-0404, extension 230.

2-day itinerary | Sherbrooke - Sorel-Tracy - Montreal | 320 km

Thursday, July 5 - Grand departure of the cyclists in the 2-day itinerary (Sherbrooke - Sorel-Tracy, distance of 180 km)
7:30 a.m. Arrival of guests at the CHUS for the official departure ceremony (3001, 12^e avenue Nord)
8 a.m. Grand departure of the 31 cyclists in the 2-day itinerary, departing from Sherbrooke, in front of the faculty of medicine building
9:08 a.m. 5-minute break in Cleveland, Clinique vétérinaire (152, Route 116)
10:27 a.m. 15-minute break in Kingsey Falls, Parc Bernard-Lemaire, in front of the Norampac plant (398, Marie-Victorin)
12:25 p.m. 1-hour lunch break in Drummondville, Salle communautaire (1246, rue Proulx)
2:55 p.m. 10-minute break in Pierreville, municipality of Pierreville (29, rue Ally)
4:20 p.m. Arrival in Sorel-Tracy, Biophare (6, rue St-Pierre)
4:45 p.m. Arrival ceremony and official photos

Friday, July 6 - Grand arrival of the cyclists in the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau (Sorel-Tracy - Montreal, distance of 140 km)
7:15 a.m. Departure from Sorel-Tracy, L'Auberge de la Rive (165, chemin Ste-Anne)
9:15 a.m. 10-minute break in St-Félix-de-Valois, Transport Martin Rondeau (129, rue de la Station)
11:05 a.m. Lunch break in Lavaltrie and ceremony announcing the results of the IGA Charles-Bruneau Mini-Tours, Centre communautaire (49 ch. Lavaltrie)
12:05 p.m. End of lunch and departure of the cyclists of the four itineraries
12:30 p.m. Break in Repentigny, École secondaire Félix-Leclerc (250, boul. Louis-Philippe Picard)
1 p.m. Cyclists of the four itineraries depart for Montreal
2:25 p.m. Celebration marking the grand arrival of the cyclists of the four itineraries at Montreal's Maisonneuve Park (4601, rue Sherbrooke Est)
3:30 p.m. Closing ceremony, announcement of the final proceeds raised, and cocktails
5:30 p.m. End of the event

To follow the cyclists
The public is invited to follow the cyclists on the Fondation's Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages. Video capsules, photos and daily reports will be posted throughout the event.

To make a donation
The public is invited to show its support for children with cancer and encourage the cyclists by making an online donation at charlesbruneau.qc.ca/tour-cibc

The family component: IGA Charles-Bruneau Mini-Tours
The IGA Charles-Bruneau Mini-Tours are the premier cycling event for families intent on combining pleasure with generosity this summer. Presented throughout the province in June, this family activity is intended to raise funds for the Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau in conjunction with the CIBC Charles-Bruneau Tour. The amounts raised by participating IGA grocers will be announced on Friday, July 6, 2012, at the Centre communautaire de Lavaltrie, starting at 11 a.m. For completed details on the IGA Charles-Bruneau Mini-Tours, please visit www.IGA.net (see the section marked "Involvement.")

About the CIBC
The CIBC is committed to supporting causes that are dear to its clients, employees and to the communities where it carries out its activities. Its objective is to give more to communities through donations, sponsorships and volunteer activities initiated by CIBC employees. By adopting a strategic direction based on youth, education and health, and by relying on the commitment of its employees, the CIBC invests in the social and economic development of communities throughout the country. For complete details go to engagementcommunautaire.cibc.com

About the Fondation
Since 1990, the Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau has had a mission to give all children with cancer the best chances of recovery by financing research and supporting the development of projects in the area of pediatric oncology. charlesbruneau.qc.ca.

David Letky, Communications Officer
Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau
Tel.: [phone], extension 230 Cell: 514 219-6350
[email protected]

Sophie Blouin, Senior Manager
Community Investment, CIBC
Tel.: [phone]
sophie.bloui[email protected]m