July 13, 2009 (Montreal, QC) – The Jewish General Hospital has announced that 1,450 participants from across the country have raised $5.7 million at the inaugural Ride to Conquer Cancer. After a rousing opening ceremony at the Place des Nations at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, participants embarked on the first leg of their journey. Their destination was Trois-Rivières, where they will camp at Seminaire St-Joseph.

On Sunday morning, July 12, riders completed their journey in Quebec City at the Expo Cité. The Ride to Conquer Cancer is a cycling event that raises money for cancer research and improvements to patient care across Quebec. Funds will benefit the Segal Cancer Centre at the Jewish General Hospital, the CHUQ, the CHRTR and the CSSS de Gatineau.

The second annual Ride to Conquer Cancer, benefiting the Jewish General Hospital, is already planned for July 10-11, 2010. For more information, or to register as a participant next year, call 1 866 996-8356, or sign up online at www.conquercancer.ca.

The Jewish General Hospital, the CHUQ, the CHRTR and the CSSS de Gatineau gratefully acknowledge the event sponsors for their commitment to the cause: CTV, TVA, The Globe and Mail, CHOM 97.7, Virgin Radio 96, Énergie, Rock-Détente, Sleemans Beer, Saputo, BASE Energy Drink, Volkswagen and Vitaminwater.

About the Segal Cancer Centre
The Segal Cancer Centre is a Quebec leader in implementing a focused and comprehensive approach to fighting cancer through medical treatment, patient care, family support and scientific research. A wide array of interrelated services are grouped in close proximity to one another, including screening and prevention, nutrition and rehabilitation, psychosocial support, symptom management, and public information. This integrated approach is considered by leading international medical experts to be one of the most effective and promising strategies in battling cancer.

Funds raised through The Ride to Conquer Cancer have applications across a wide range of cancers and includes crucial support utilized in three key areas, all of which are essential to reaching our end goal, to conquer cancer. Funds will be invested in:

1. Programs: These include research focused on basic mechanisms of cancer development and therapy (e.g. Cancer Stem Cells, Cancer Cell Genomics / Proteomics / Informatics; Immunotherapy) and also Targeted Therapeutics or “Personalized Medicine” (image guidance and targeted medicine, both drugs and radiation).

2. Platforms: (e.g. High content tumor banking, new drug developments, functional imaging).

3. People: To lead and conduct the science and translate discoveries into new therapies, we need the top scientists and researches to excel on the Platforms and Programs mentioned above, and we need the best students and trainees. These funds will be used in recruitment and in competitive studentship and fellowship awards.

About the Jewish General Hospital
Now in its landmark 75th year of providing Care for All, the Jewish General Hospital has been a mainstay of superior medical treatment for many generations of patients from all backgrounds in Montreal, throughout Quebec and beyond. Drawing on its expertise and experience as one of the province’s largest and busiest acute-care hospitals, the JGH is committed to improving the level of care for all Quebecers through close collaboration with the government and its healthcare network. In this anniversary year, the Jewish General Hospital has also redoubled its commitment to ensuring that patients receive care of the highest quality in a clean, safe environment. The JGH has been able to deliver these pioneering and innovative services by strengthening its role as a McGill University teaching hospital, expanding and upgrading its facilities, and pursuing cutting-edge studies at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research. For more, please visit www.jgh.ca.

About the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec
The Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec (CHUQ) plays a major role in fighting cancer; it serves over 1.7 million people throughout Quebec and Eastern Quebec. Most care and research services are provided at L’Hôtel-Dieu de Québec. The Centre de recherche clinique et évaluative en oncologie (CRCEO) was founded in November 2006 and maintains a staff of more than 50 oncologists, researchers and associates who work closely with a team of researchers from the Centre de recherche du CHUQ. Every year, over 50,000 patients and their families receive care at this unique facility which specializes in diagnosis and treatment. The funds collected through The Ride to Conquer Cancer will benefit the development of the CRCEO and the enhancement of research programs in the fields of oncology, X-ray radiology and genomics at the CHUQ. For more information, please visit www.chuq.qc.ca or www.crchuq.ca.

About the Centre hospitalier regional de Trois-Rivières
The CHRTR holds a regional mandate in cancer research. Proceeds from The Ride to Conquer Cancer will exclusively fund the enhancement of treatment in this field. This optimization of care enables our patients to benefit from more accurate diagnoses and to receive more specialized treatments within the community, thereby allowing them to benefit from the support of their friends and family, and eliminating the need to commute to larger centres. For more information, please visit www.fondationchrtr.qc.ca.

About the CSSS de Gatineau
The Fondation de la CSSS de Gatineau was founded in 1984 with a mission to improve the health and well-being of the community. For more information, please visit www.fondationsantegatineau.ca.