(OTTAWA, ONTARIO) – A 100km bike tour to fund some of the most important research in the fight against cancer has just kicked off in the Nation’s Capital. The Ottawa Hospital Foundation unveiled earlier today the exciting details surrounding Ride the Rideau – a one-day road cycling adventure that will take participants from Ottawa to Merrickville-Wolford.

This event has been designed with the rider in mind. The bold road cycling journey will kick off with a full breakfast and will feature pit stops filled with refreshments along the way. Upon crossing the finish line, participants will receive a hero’s welcome from the town of Merrickville-Wolford with festivities including a BBQ and live entertainment. Best of all, they’ll know they helped support local cancer research that will have a worldwide impact.

Every participant is being asked to raise $1,500. The funds will help build the new Centre for Innovative Cancer Research at The Ottawa Hospital General Campus. Construction of the Centre will accelerate research into “biological” treatments that harness viruses, cells and genes to eradicate cancer. Therapies developed on the lab bench will reach the patient's bedside faster. In some cases, the wait time between research and clinical trials will be cut in half.

The first-ever Ride the Rideau would not be possible without the generosity of Title Sponsor MDS Nordion and other key partners.

Ride the Rideau takes place on Saturday, September 11, 2010. For more information, or to register for the event, visit www.RidetheRideau.ca.

The Ottawa Hospital is a multi-campus, academic health sciences centre, serving 1.2 million residents of Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, both in English and French. It provides care for more patients than any other hospital in Canada, and boasts specialty centres in cancer, heart, kidney and vision care, as well as rehabilitation services. For more information, visit The Ottawa Hospital Web site at www.ottawahospital.on.ca.

The Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s mission is to inspire and enable people to support the highest quality health care at The Ottawa Hospital and lifesaving research at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. For more information, visit The Ottawa Hospital Foundation Web site at www.ohfoundation.ca.

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For more information, please contact:

Ingrid Gingras
Media Relations and Marketing Officer
The Ottawa Hospital Foundation
igingras@ottawahospital.on.ca
Tel.: 613-798-5555, ext. 18718