SHERBROOKE, QC, July 7, 2011 /CNW Telbec/ - To a thunderous round of applause, Sherbrooke native and Tour "hero" Anthony St-François marked the official start of the two-day leg of the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau this morning in front of the faculty of medicine and health sciences at the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS). Now fully recovered from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 12-year-old Anthony cut the official ribbon in the company of actor Paul Doucet, cyclist and spokesman for the two-day itinerary, Romain Mercier and Adam Vaillancourt, a pair of 3-year-old patients at the CHUS waging a courageous battle against cancer, and Ms. Patricia Gauthier, general director of the CHUS and emcee for this grand departure.

Presented from July 7 to 8, 2011, the two-day leg of the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau is intended to raise funds with the objective of giving children with cancer the best chances of recovery. Leaving from Sherbrooke, the participants will cycle to Granby and then Montreal, spanning a distance of almost 300 kilometres in less than 48 hours. On the last day of the Tour, they will join Pierre Bruneau and the cyclists completing the four-day itinerary as well as those taking part in Ambassador's Day for the final ride into Montreal. The celebrations marking the grand arrival will take place on Friday (tomorrow), July 8 at 2:30 p.m. at Montreal's Parc Maisonneuve, where the total proceeds raised by the 16^th edition of the Tour will be announced. Under the theme "Our commitment - stronger than ever!" organizers of this major cycling event hope to surpass last year's impressive total of $1,650,000 in proceeds raised.

"I was very proud to be named the hero for the two-day tour, because I know what it feels like to be sick and I know what the different stages of recovery are," said 12-year-old Anthony St-François, the hero of the two-day itinerary. The Sherbrooke native is now in complete remission after a long battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Anthony was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 4. After more than 100 weeks spent shuttling between his home and the Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau at CHU Sainte-Justine, Anthony has now resumed his usual activities, including hockey, his favourite sport. For Anthony and his parents, however, the date of May 31, 2010 marked their greatest victory, as it was on that day that Anthony was finally pronounced cured.

"Cycling a distance of 300 kilometres is a piece of cake compared to the road to recovery these children face," said actor Paul Doucet, spokesman for the two-day itinerary. "The real fight is the one that Anthony and all children with cancer courageously wage. Their smiles are an endless source of motivation for me and for my fellow cyclists. I invite the public to help us contribute to the development of research so that one day, all of these children can say, "When I grow up, I will be cured!" 

For Patricia Gauthier, director general of the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS), this departure is symbolic: "The fact that the Fondation chose the CHUS as a departure point for its new two-day tour is significant for our hospital community as a whole. That's because it strengthens the new partnership that was created when the Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau donated $1 million to the CHUS on June 27 to help us upgrade our pediatric oncology unit."

New Charles-Bruneau pediatric oncology unit at the CHUS
On June 27, 2011, the Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau announced that it was donating a sum of $1 million to the CHUS for purposes of upgrading its pediatric oncology unit. This is an historic donation, as it marks the first time the Fondation finances a pediatric oncology project outside of Montreal.

Paring Based on Caring
Thanks to our "Pairing Based on Caring" initiative, children with cancer will have a chance to encourage and inspire our cyclists, since each cyclist will have a photograph of a child with cancer emblazoned on the front of his or her jersey for the duration of the two-day tour. The cyclists will also have a chance to meet their protégés during the tour.

Two-day itinerary

To follow the cyclists
Daily video capsules, photos of the event and complete summaries are available through the Fondation's Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts. The public is invited to show its support for our children with cancer and to encourage our cyclists by making an online donation at charlesbruneau.qc.ca/tour-cibc, by filling out a form available CIBC branches throughout the province, or by attending the cyclists' departures and arrivals during the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau.

Possible interviews
Paul Doucet, Anthony St-François all of the cyclists taking part in the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau will be available for interviews throughout the four-day event. To schedule an interview, please contact David Letky at 1 877 256-0404, extension 230.

The family component: Les mini-tours IGA Charles-Bruneau 
Les mini-tours IGA Charles-Bruneau are the most popular cycling events for families intent on combining fun and philanthropy. Presented throughout the province starting in June, this family activity is intended to raise funds for the Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau, in conjunction with the Tour CIBC. The total proceeds raised by the IGA stores taking part will be announced on Friday, July 8, at the Centre culturel de Beloeil, starting at 11 a.m. For details visit www.IGA.net (click on "Involvement").

About the Fondation
Since 1990, la 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