April 16, 2006 – Canadian athletes now have a way to see a clearer future thanks to Ottawa native Jane Roos, founder and executive director of the Canadian Athletes Now Fund, as well as its sister fund, See You InS administrated by the Canadian Olympic Committee. Now the public can help put Canada’s athletes on the podium with the announcement of the Ottawa Race Weekend May 25-28, 2006.

According to an article in the Ottawa Citizen, the Ottawa Race Weekend expects 30,000 runners, walkers, in-line skaters, and cyclists to participate 10 events. Roos has also started an initiative inviting 2,008 athletes racing that weekend to raise $2,008 each to support Canada’s athletic hopefuls for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. If she reaches her $4 million goal with this fundraising drive, she’ll be able to fund all the of 2008 athletic hopefuls – and be able to allow them to apply for further funding in October.

Her hallmarks of success are clear; The See You in Turin program for the 2006 Winter Olympics raised funds for 80 of Canada’s 178 athletes. The See You In Athens 2004 campaign saw a whopping 244 of 266 Canadian athletes receive financial support. Currently, an athlete who receives the funding gets a $6,000 grant with an additional $1,500 per month for those athletes with National Card funding.

Ottawa Race Weekend participants can also bring loose change to the Canadian Athletes Now Fund booth at the Pfizer Health and Fitness Expo to contribute to Pfizer’s Coppers to Gold program.