Grand departure of the participants in the Circuit bleu Charles-Bruneau, a kayak tour around the Island of Montréal in support of children with cancer

Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau

MONTREAL, Sept. 18, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - The grand departure of the participants in the first edition of the Circuit bleu Charles-Bruneau was held this morning. More than 50 participants have pledged to paddle 110 km in four days, alone or as part of a relay team, in order to circumvent the Island of Montréal aboard their kayaks. Official spokeswoman Mylène Paquette and figureheads Caroline Dhavernas and Hugues Fournel, invites the public to encourage the kayakers by following them on social media or being there to welcome them at the conclusion of each day, or by making a donation to the event.

Participants have embraced a single-minded mission to ensure that hope springs anew for children with cancer.

Dedicated spokesperson, inspiring hero
Mylène Paquette, an ocean paddler and former beneficiary attendant at CHU Sainte-Justine's Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau, is proud to serve as official spokesperson for this event. Her ocean treks have allowed her to understand the feelings of powerlessness that children experience before the vast unknown that is cancer. In 2011, Félix Lapointe, the hero of the Circuit, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma; he was 6 years old at the time. Félix will travel alongside Ms. Paquette in order to encourage the kayakers and talk about his battle with cancer.

About the Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau
Since 1990, the Fondation 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. The Fondation is proud to have established a presence in four major university hospital centres in Quebec: the CHU Sainte-Justine, the CHU de Québec, the CHU de Sherbrooke, and the Montreal Children's Hospital.

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Image with caption: "Paul Doucet, Mylène Paquette and our little hero Félix were there to encourage the participants of the Circuit bleu Charles-Bruneau before their grand departure! (CNW Group/Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140918_C9246_PHOTO_EN_42806.jpg

SOURCE: Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau

Marie-Claude Lachance
Director of Events and Communications
Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau
514 256-0404, extension 230
514 219-6350
[email protected]