Aug. 24,
Mississauga, Ont. – In September, RMT Paul Lewis will be volunteering
his support as a therapist for riders participating in the Sear’s
National Kids’ Cancer Ride –  hosted by the Coast To Coast Against Cancer Foundation – that will span from Vancouver, British Columbia to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

About  Coast to Coast Against Cancer

When giving a donation, whether cash directly to a charity or supporting a friend or colleague in a fund raiser, we would all like to believe that 100 per cent of our money will be distributed directly to the charity, program and/or those in need. Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is that most charities spend a significant portion of your donation on administration and promotional costs associated with daily operations and events. Fortunately, there are always exceptions to the rule and the mostly volunteer-based charity, Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation, is one of these special cases.

Their focus is to raise donations to support many worthy and deserving childhood cancer charities and impressively, they are committed to distributing 100 per cent of their (tax receipt eligible) donations. They accomplish this by relying entirely on generous corporate sponsors, event participants, donors and volunteers to operate and raise funds at their numerous events across Canada. These well-organized and highly-attended events are all activities that promote and encourage a healthy lifestyle such as bike rides, golf tournaments and even long boarding (skateboarding) rides. It is remarkable that this relatively new charity has been so successful, in so short a time, as it has been spearheaded mainly by volunteers.

About The Sears National Kids Cancer Ride

The Sears National Kids Cancer Ride is the next planned event for the Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation. This ambitious and challenging bicycle ride will surely prove to be an experience of a lifetime for all participants, sponsors and volunteers. 2011 will be the fourth year for this ride, but with a slightly modified format – this year, it will encourage both highly-skilled and less-seasoned bike riders to participate. This 16-day adventure, which spans over 7,000 km, beings in Vancouver, on September 7, 2011 and ends in Halifax on September 22, 2011. The route will be undertaken by national and relay riders. There will be two teams of national riders, who are committed to riding the entire distance across Canada, and numerous teams of relay riders who will join in along the way. Throughout the route, national riders will have the opportunity of visiting many of Canada’s 17 childhood pediatric centres that receive fundraising support from this event. Meeting the children and families who are directly impacted by their efforts is bound to ignite or rekindle each and every rider’s passion for this cause.

Paul Lewis volunteers to help riders be successful

In order to make this event successful, The Sears National Kids Cancer Ride requires a variety of volunteers from the medical and technical fields. Paul Lewis, a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT), is a volunteer who is committed to participating in the 16-day event. He will be flying out to Vancouver from Toronto to start the event with the participants. His main duties will be to give sports/therapeutic massages to the national riders who will be required to ride about 200-250 km per day and to lead and assist them with mobility through stretching exercises which will be invaluable over the course of the 7,000 km ride. In addition, he will be following right behind the riders in an R.V. or Motorhome accompanying the team on their journey. With a background in sports fitness and his dedication to health and wellness, his physical and emotional support to the national riders throughout this 16-day adventure will be second-to-none. When asked why he agreed to participate in an event demanding such a significant financial and time commitment, he simply responded that he felt that it was both an opportunity and his responsibility to support such a cause. Donations for The Sears National Kids Cancer Ridecan be made on Paul’s website at www.paullewis.ca

Why sponsor or volunteer?

The ability of The Coast to Coast AgainstCancer Foundationto disseminate 100 per cent of its fundraising is entirely dependent on the commitment and co-operation of sponsors such as Sears Canada, in addition to participants and volunteers like Paul. This organization has demonstrated, through numerous successful events, that this model of charity fundraising is not only possible, but thriving. 

For more information on the Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation and the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride, please visit their websites at www.coasttocoastagainstcancer.org

 and www.searsnationalkidscancerride.com

.