MONTREAL, June 1, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - At Montréal-Trudeau Airport this morning, Pierre Bruneau and 10 walkers boarded a flight to China, where they will embark on a 16-day expedition in support of the Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau. They will pay tribute to the courage of children with cancer by attempting to meet three separate challenges: the Great Wall of China, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Tiger Leaping Gorge.
The objective of this grand adventure is the collect more than $200,000 for research in pediatric oncology. To achieve this, each walker has made a commitment to collect a minimum of $10,000 in donations for the Fondation and to defray all of the expenses related to the trip.
For Pierre Bruneau, spokesman for the Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau, this expedition on Chinese soil holds special significance: "In this, the year of the dragon, I will celebrate my 60th birthday on the Great Wall of China, together with my wife Ginette and the 10 climbers committed to finding a cure for children with cancer. I would never have thought I'd have a chance to enjoy such an exceptional experience in aid of a cause I've supported for close to 23 years!"
"We wish them courage and determination," says Mélanie Amyot, mother of 3-year-old Anthony Vachon, who is currently battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia. "To be perfectly candid, we've had our share of ups and downs in the last year, but our family is tightly knit, and to see that the walkers are as well is incredibly touching to us." For more than a year, Anthony has been receiving major doses of chemotherapy at the CHU Sainte-Justine's Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau in an effort to beat the disease. And while they dream of the day their son has his final treatment, Anthony's parents prefer to wage this daunting battle one day at a time.
To follow and encourage our walkers
The public is invited to donate online (defischarles-bruneau.qc.ca) and to follow the walkers on their journey through the Fondation's social media sites (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube).
The Charles-Bruneau Challenges
Since 2008, the Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau has undertaken several mountain climbing expeditions, including three to Mount Kilimanjaro, raising a total of almost $2.3 million in aid of children with cancer. defischarles-bruneau.qc.ca
About the Fondation
Since 1990, the Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau has had a mission to give all children with cancer the best chances of recovery by financing research and supporting the development of projects in pediatric oncology. charlesbruneau.qc.ca
David Letky, Communications Officer
Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau
Tel.: 514 256-0404, extension 230 Cell: 514 219-6350
[email protected]
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