SPOKEMAN GIVES VOICE TO 10,000 CANCER KIDS

Attention: Assignment Editor, Health/Medical Editor, News Editor, Photo Editor, Sports Editor

TORONTO, ONTARIO --(CCNMatthews - May 23, 2007) - There are 10,000 children in Canada currently battling cancer. A few years ago, Tim Harriman was one of them.

Starting on Sunday June 3, Harriman, 19, is making good on a promise he made himself and his family during the successful but brutal treatment for the disease that ravaged his body. He will ride his bike from Victoria to St. John's Newfoundland and, along the way, he will visit as many cancer-fighting kids as he can. He will collect their cards, mementos, works of art and messages about their experiences. His hope is to present these messages to the Prime Minister on behalf of all of Canada's cancer kids.

Harriman has two goals:
1. He would like to help cancer fighting kids get September proclaimed Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in Canada as it is elsewhere, including in the US. He has started an online petition which is accessible at www.spokemantour.com
2. He would like to raise $100,000 for the Childhood Cancer Foundation, which is the only national charity dedicated entirely to fighting childhood cancer in Canada.

"To be a child battling cancer is one of the loneliest experiences that there is," said Harriman, who was 14 when he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a form of cancer in the blood common in children. "I want Canada's cancer fighting kids to know that they're not alone, that if I can make it through, they can too -- and that Canadians coast to coast care about what they're going through and are listening to what they have to say."

Kicking off his Spokeman Tour for Childhood Cancer in Victoria on Sunday June 3, Harriman, a Calgarian, will finish his ride in St. John's Newfoundland on Saturday August 25th. All told, Harriman's cross country trip will take a total of approximately 84 days, span 7738 kms, and will consist of an estimated 412 hrs of riding. Harriman will visit with as many cancer kids as possible including at a number of pediatric oncology centers and will also visit with non hospitalized cancer-fighting kids as he goes. Information about Harriman's trip, including bios and route information can be found at www.spokemantour.com

"Tim knows what these kids are going through and is determined to give them a voice," said David Stones, President and CEO of the Childhood Cancer Foundation. "He is a powerful advocate for cancer-fighting families in Canada and we're honoured that he is helping the Childhood Cancer Foundation as part of his cross-country campaign."

Tim's support team on the ride will include his friend, Christa Boccabella, who is training as a paramedic and Tim's parents, Jerry and Heather Harriman. Sponsors of Spokeman Tour for Childhood Cancer include: Gold Sponsors: The Bike Shop, Innovative Health Group, Peloton; Aviva Elite, Fraserway RV; Silver Sponsors: Material Insight, Days Inn - Canada and WestJet Airlines.

Cancer is by far the leading disease cause of death for our precious Canadian children.

The causes of childhood cancers are in most cases unknown and the types of cancers that occur in children vary greatly from those seen in adults. They tend to occur in different parts of the body, they look different under the microscope and they respond differently to treatment. The immaturity of children's organ systems often has important treatment implications. Leukemia, brain and other nervous system tumours, lymphomas (lymph node cancers), bone cancers, soft tissue sarcomas, kidney cancers, eye cancers, and adrenal gland cancers are the most common cancers of children. Cure rates for children are much higher than for most adult cancers with more than 75% of all children now being completely cured. But if you're a parent of a child with cancer, a 75% cure rate is not good enough.

While Canadians have always generously funded research into adult cancers, childhood cancer, with its special need for research, treatment regimens, and family support programs rarely receives the degree of attention that it deserves.

The Childhood Cancer Foundation Canada was founded in 1987, and is the only national charity dedicated entirely to fighting childhood cancer in Canada. The Foundation funds research, provides support programs, and advocates for children and their families who are affected by cancer. It has an alliance with the Council of Canadian Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Directors, representing all 17 children's hospitals and cancer treatment centres across Canada. Through this unique partnership, the Foundation directly funds nationwide childhood cancer research and supports clinical trials provided in Canada through the US-based Children's Oncology Group.

/For further information: or to arrange for an interview please contact:
Susan McLennan
Babble On Communications
Ph: (416) 699-1846
Cell: (416) 568-5974
Email: susan@babbleoncom.com
Web: www.babbleoncom.com

Deborah Keegan
Babble On Communications
Ph: (416) 691-5168
Cell: (416) 525-5177
Email: Deborah@babbleoncom.com

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