December 21, 2006 – Season’s greetings dear friends. It is with nostalgia during this festive season, that I reflect back over the past four years to a small group of us who came together through our love of cycling, and with a belief in the importance of health and wellness, and a shared passion for helping families and children with cancer.

Some of us have enjoyed many years of friendship prior to Tour for Kids, while others have met through events we have done together. Throughout, our primary objective has always been to build an extraordinary caring community where participants could share their passion for cycling, and participate in a shared vision to improve the lives of children and their families living through and beyond cancer. It was because of this objective that Tour For Kids was born.

In its third year, Tour For Kids hit the road this past summer with over 300 cyclists and 100 volunteers. With your help, an astounding $920,000 was raised, with a cumulative $1,800,000 raised in the last three years!

As a result of your generosity, 1,400 children affected by cancer are able to enjoy camp and other programmes. With the camps receiving neither ongoing Provincial nor Federal funding, Tour For Kids is now the largest financial supporter of two out of the three camp organizations we support. For everything that each of you have contributed to make this happen, I sincerely thank you.

While we celebrate in the success of Tour For Kids, we as a team always had an original vision that was much larger and wider in breadth and depth than just the creation of Tour For Kids. So, it is with great pride, and gratitude, that we introduce our newly formed Canadian Foundation, “Coast to Coast Against Cancer” (C2C, Charitable No. 8282 52346 RR0001).

The mandate of the Foundation is to create high quality, physically challenging events on a national basis, and continue to raise needed funding for worthy cancer charities. In doing so, we want to inspire wellness and volunteerism within our communities, and create pride and a sense of purpose in everyone who participates in these events. We will provide support where the needs are greatest, including funding of oncology camps, community support programs, academic scholarships and other areas which contribute to inspiring hope and improved prognoses for children and their families impacted by cancer.

So What’s Next?

Our Coast to Coast Against Cancer (C2C) team is back at it, creating new, innovative, fun and challenging events, meant to inspire and support each of us in our quests towards greater levels of personal achievement — all in support of our Foundation vision. The following is a list of annual events that we hope you are up for the challenge with us!!!

(i) Tour For Kids — Ontario — AUGUST 16 — 19TH, 2007 (Registration is limited and will open mid January)

(ii) The Inside Ride — January 2007 — Invite us to your workplace or high schools for a fun, team-building stationary bike challenge!

(iii)Our friends at Ride for Karen: The 1-day Classic — September 9, 2007

(iv) Celebratory Concert — October 2007**

(v) C2C Foundation Gala — March 2008, and

A FEW MORE SURPRISE EVENTS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!!!!!

** Contingent upon sponsorship support and confirmation

During this important time of year, the C2C team would like to thank each and every one of you for your personal contribution, enthusiasm and dedication to improving the lives of families and children with cancer within Ontario, and soon, throughout Canada. Each of you has played a role in breathing life into this Foundation and supporting the needs of the more than 10,000 children in Canada living with cancer, and the 1,700 new children who receive this awful diagnosis annually.

It is during this festive season, with friends and family by our sides, that an anonymous writer once remarked “˜life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away,’. From myself, and every member of our C2C team, we extend to you and your families health, and happiness. See you in 2007!

Jeff Rushton, Founder
Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation