Enbridge aids in cancer fight

The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer raises $7.5M for The Alberta Cancer Foundation

On Saturday, August 10, the largest cycling fundraiser in the history of Alberta took place as 1,655 riders took to the streets to support The Alberta Cancer Foundation. Enbridge Inc., a Canadian transporter of energy, once again served as national sponsor for the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer. The fifth annual ride, which includes two days of biking and one night of camping on a journey from Calgary, through the Rocky Mountains, and back to Calgary, raised $7.5 million to help fund breakthrough research and discovery of new cancer therapies through The Alberta Cancer Foundation.

"We send our thanks and gratitude to this incredible community of riders, crew members, volunteers, and their extended networks of family and supporters for making our fifth annual Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer a remarkable success," said Myka Osinchuk, CEO of the Alberta Cancer Foundation.

"This year, 16,000 people will be diagnosed with cancer in Alberta. Our aim at the foundation is a cancer-free future for all Albertans. These vital funds raised are being put to use as we speak, powering the life-saving research and the discovery of new cancer therapies at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Cross Cancer Institute and 15 other cancer centers across the province," Osinchuk added.

In five years, The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer has raised over $38.3 million for the Alberta Cancer Foundation. Funds raised through The Alberta Ride support more than 200 clinical trials across the province including a new provincial ocular brachytherapy program that will offer care in Alberta to patients with a rare form of eye cancer. The annual event draws thousands of participants and brings together communities of cancer survivors, cyclists, and supporters who train and fundraise in order to participate in the two-day, 200 km ride.

Raising money for awareness, research, and therapies is so important when you look at the rates at which cancer touches lives. Nearly one in two Albertans will develop cancer in their lifetime. On the basis of current incidence rates, almost 40% of Canadian women and almost 45% of Canadian men will develop cancer during their lifetimes. If trends continue, in the near future, nearly one half of all Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Participants in The Ride come from all walks of life, and many have been directly impacted by cancer.

"I finally found out what true heartache was last May when my daughter Mckenzie was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive brain tumor," said Sarah Short, a first-year Rider from Canmore, Alberta.

"Mckenzie was such a strong little girl who, on most days, actually gave me the strength to keep me from falling to pieces. Sadly we lost Mckenzie in September last year. I vowed to myself that I would donate blood on a regular basis, volunteer, and participate in The Ride to Conquer Cancer every year in her honor," Short added.

Enbridge , a longtime supporter of cancer research in Canada, became the national title sponsor for the ride in 2011. In addition to the company's national sponsorship commitment, Enbridge employees have played a vital role in the Ride to Conquer Cancer in Canada, with over 400 employees, their families and friends raising an astounding $1.2 million and growing.

About the event, Al Monaco, Enbridge Inc. president and CEO and a member of the company's 150 member ride team, said, "We offer our thanks and gratitude to the critical, world-leading cancer programs underway at The Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Cross Cancer Institute and the fifteen additional cancer centers across Alberta. Enbridge supports the Alberta Cancer Foundations' mission for a cancer-free future and we share a common vision to conquer cancer."