July 24, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kelowna to be site of Challenge ride, Community ride to follow next day in Vancouver

The BC Cancer Foundation has announced Kelowna Mountain will be the location for the start of an 80 kilometre fundraising ride featuring cancer survivor and international cycling champion Lance Armstrong. The BC Cancer Foundation Tour of Courage Challenge Ride for an intimate group of major sponsors will be led by Lance Armstrong on Saturday September 22. The challenge ride is the first of two BC Cancer Foundation Tour of Courage fundraising cycling events. The second, a community ride, with special guest appearance by Lance Armstrong is open to recreational cyclists over the age of 12 and will be held Sunday September 23 in Vancouver.

Kelowna Mountain, which is currently under development by owners Mark and Nicola Consiglio, is a major sponsor of the BC Cancer Foundation Tour of Courage. “Kelowna Mountain is so proud to sponsor this event and we thank Sindi Hawkins for getting us involved,” Mark Consiglio said. “I'm pumped about riding with Lance Armstrong in Kelowna for such a good cause.”

Kelowna Mission MLA Sindi Hawkins, a cancer survivor and passionate advocate of cancer research is chair of the BC Cancer Foundation Tour of Courage. “This event has very special meaning for me. The proceeds will make a very real difference to people throughout our province,” she said. “I am very proud that Kelowna’s gorgeous wine country will host Lance Armstrong and the BC Cancer Foundation Tour of Courage Challenge Ride. I want to thank Kelowna Mountain, as well as Mission Hill Family Estate, whose generosity is making it possible for the event to be held here.” She added, “I hope to see a lot of my friends and colleagues from Kelowna join me in Vancouver for the community ride, Sunday September 23.”

Premier Gordon Campbell is honourary chair of the BC Cancer Foundation Tour of Courage. He plans to participate in both the Kelowna and Vancouver events. “Cancer affects all of us, either directly or indirectly, and the BC Cancer Foundation has done a tremendous job raising funds and awareness that has improved outcomes for many British Columbians,” he said. “I want to thank Lance for his support and I look forward to joining him as we ride together through the beautiful Okanagan countryside on September 22 as part of the BC Cancer Foundation Tour of Courage Challenge Ride and I encourage people to join me and Sindi Hawkins in the Tour of Courage Community Ride the next day in Vancouver.”

Proceeds from the BC Cancer Foundation Tour of Courage, will fund a variety of blood cancer research programs at the BC Cancer Agency .Treatments for these kinds of cancers which include forms of leukemia and lymphoma, can be very difficult, often with devastating side effects.

Dr. Clay Smith head of the Bone Marrow Transplant program of B.C. and a senior scientist with the BC Cancer Agency is also a participant in the community ride. “Proceeds from the BC Cancer Foundation Tour of Courage will fund new research at the BC Cancer Agency that will fundamentally change how blood cancers are diagnosed and treated, not just here in B.C. but throughout the world,” he said.

The BC Cancer Foundation Tour of Courage Community Ride is open to recreational cyclists aged 12 and up. Participants may choose from 30, 60 or 90 kilometre routes, all starting from UBC in Vancouver. The BC Cancer Foundation raises funds for research and enhancements to care at the BC Cancer Agency.

Kelowna Mountain is a residential resort in the Upper Mission neighbourhood of Kelowna currently in the planning stages. Plans include an Olympic-size half-pipe, terrain park, surf park, trail system and golf course. Ross Rebagliati, the world's first Olympic snowboarding gold medalist (Nagano 1998), is Kelowna Mountain's director of snowboarding and skiing.

To register for the BC Cancer Foundation Tour of Courage Community ride go to www.tourofcourage.ca, or call: 604 696 BIKE.

Media contacts:

Penny Noble, APR, Senior Director Public Affairs,
BC Cancer Foundation
Tel: 604-707-5902 Cell: 604-805-5637

John Harding, Communications Kelowna Mountain
Cell: 250-826-2717
E-mail: hardcomm@telus.net