MONTREAL, July 6 /CNW Telbec/ - At 7 o'clock this morning, in front of
the Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau at CHU Ste-Justine, the 25 riders
taking part in the 14th running of the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau will begin
their 600-kilometre bicycle trek that will take them to Montreal,
Trois-Rivières, Joliette and St-Jérôme. Presented from July 6 to 9, the Tour
CIBC Charles-Bruneau is intended to raise funds with the objective of giving
children with cancer the best chances of recovery. The Foundation is proud to
announce that three members of the group Simple Plan will take part in this
year's event. On July 9, 2009, therefore, Messrs. Chuck Comeau, Sébastien
Lefebvre and Jeff Stinco will join the field of riders as ambassadors for the
final 125 kilometres leading to Montreal City Hall. Organizers of this year's
event - under the theme 'It's our turn' - hope to surpass the $700,000 raised
last year.

    The 2009 Tour

    Some 25 men and women from the business community will mount their
bicycles and travel more than 600 kilometres in four days in a gesture of
solidarity with the children who wage a daily battle with cancer. The
children, in their own way, will encourage the riders thanks to 'pairing based
on caring,' an initiative whereby each rider will have a photograph of a child
with cancer emblazoned on his or her chest for the duration of the Tour. Each
rider will also have the chance to meet that child during the Tour.
    For Pierre Bruneau, vice-president and spokesman for the Fondation Centre
de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau, this year's theme reflects the riders'
commitment to doing their part to finally beat pediatric cancer in Québec:
"Children fighting cancer do so with courage and determination. For the
riders, this is a chance to recognize their perseverance and support their
fight. It's our turn to continue the fight so that all of these children can
fulfil their dream of being cured."
    "I'm delighted to accompany the cyclists for the four days. When they're
tired, I'll be there to give them a little push," says Emilie Dubé,
spokesperson for the 2009 Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau. The Ste-Julie native just
celebrated her tenth birthday. In January 2006, at the age of 6, Emilie was
told the terrible news: she had a brain tumour. For 14 months, she received
chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments at the Centre de cancérologie
Charles-Bruneau at CHU Sainte-Justine, and after a long period of nausea and
difficulty walking, Emilie is now in remission. In March 2012, her recovery
will be complete.
    For CIBC, contributing to the success of the Tour by encouraging other
Québec-based companies to join the fight is a responsibility that goes well
beyond its role as sponsor. "CIBC is proud to have contributed to the success
of the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau in the last four years and to support
research on pediatric cancer. As principal partner of this event, it's our
turn to continue the fight waged by children with cancer by promoting
awareness in the business community of the importance of each dollar raised
for the Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau. We invite companies
to help us meet our coveted goal - finding the ultimate cure," said Mr.
Sylvain Vinet, Senior Vice-President. Retail Distribution, Eastern Canada,
CIBC.

    Ambassadors' Day in Trois-Rivières

    This year, thanks to the initiative shown by Mr. Yves Lévesque, mayor of
Trois-Rivières, the first ever Trois-Rivières Ambassadors' Day will be held on
July 6, 2009, the first day of the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau. Ten ambassadors
will thus join the Tour riders for the 55 kilometres separating the
municipality of St-Barthélemy from the city of Trois-Rivières. On hand to
welcome the ambassadors to Parc Champlain (behind Trois-Rivières City Hall)
will be Mayor Yves Lévesque and Mr. Pierre Bruneau.

    The CIBC Charles-Bruneau Tour - Ambassadors' Day

    On July 9, the final day of the Tour, some 40 additional cyclists,
accompanied by members of the group Simple Plan, will join the main field of
riders for the trek between St-Jérôme and Montreal. Mayor Gérald Tremblay and
Mr. Pierre Bruneau will be on hand to welcome our intrepid cyclist to Montreal
City Hall, where organizers will present a cheque for the total proceeds
raised by the event's 14th edition.The Itinerary
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    Monday, July 6 - 10 cyclists-ambassadors from Trois-Rivières will join
    the main field of riders

    7 a.m.: Departure from the Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau at CHU
            Sainte-Justine
    12:15 p.m.: Lunch in St-Barthélemy (Parc de la Fabrique, 601, rue York)
    4:30 p.m.: Arrival in Trois-Rivières (Parc Champlain behind city hall,
               1325, Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville)

    Tuesday July 7

    8 a.m.: Departure from Trois-Rivières (Hôtel Delta, 1620, rue Notre-Dame)
    12:45 p.m.: Lunch in Saint-Justin (Bicycle rest area, near the St-Justin
                church, 541, rue Duchesnay)
    4:30 p.m.: Arrival in Joliette (Parc Lajoie, corner of Lajoie,
               St-Barthélemy and Archambault)

    Wednesday, July 8

    8:30 a.m.: Departure from Joliette (Château Joliette, 450, rue St-Thomas)
    12:30 p.m.: Lunch in Ste-Margerite-du-Lac-Masson (Parc Edouard-Masson,
                9 chemin des Hauteurs)
    4:30 p.m.: Arrival in St-Jérôme (Place de la Gare)

    Thursday July 9 - 40 cyclists-ambassadors will join the main field of
    riders

    7:30 a.m.: Departure from St-Jérôme (Cascades Fine Paper Group Inc.,
               Rolland Division, 2, Rolland Avenue)
    1:10 p.m.: Lunch in Dorval (Sarto-Desnoyers Community Centre,
               1335 Lakeshore Road)
    4 p.m.: Arrival at Montreal City Hall (275, rue Notre-Dame Est)The general public can show support for children with cancer and
encourage the riders and members of the group Simple Plan by making an online
donation at www.charlesbruneau.qc.ca/tour-cibc/en. Donation forms are also
available in CIBC branches throughout the province, and people are also
invited to encourage the riders by showing up for departures and arrivals on
the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau.

    About the Foundation

    Created in 1990, the Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau has
a mission to give children with cancer the best chances of recovery by
supporting research and financing the ongoing development of the Centre de
cancérologie Charles-Bruneau at CHU Sainte-Justine. The Foundation believes
that children with cancer have a right to receive the best available treatment
so that one day, they can all say: "When I grow up, I will be cured!" For
further details, please visit www.charlesbruneau.qc.ca./NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available on
    the CNW Photo Network and archived at http://photos.newswire.ca.
    Additional archived images are also available on the CNW Photo Archive
    website at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited
    members of the media/