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Kelowna cancer survivor drafts world's top cyclist to lead fundraiser for BC Cancer Foundation
CYCLING LEGEND EDDY MERCKX , KELOWNA-BASED SON AXEL MERCKX RAISE 100K FOR BC CANCER FOUNDATION
October 31, 2005, Vancouver, BC – Colleen Cross believes it's important to make a difference. That's why the Kelowna mother and grandmother decided to fight her breast cancer by fundraising. She just happens to have Axel Merckx for a son-in-law. Axel is an Olympic cycling medalist and Tour de France competitor whose father is Eddy Merckx, the legendary Belgian racer who has set more cycling records than anyone in the world, including Lance Armstrong.
"I just thought, why not, I'll ask Axel if he and his father would come to a banquet put on by Vancouver's Wedgewood Cycling Club, because the proceeds are being donated to the BC Cancer Foundation. After all, he's married to my daughter, how could he refuse his mother-in-law?"
He didn't. Neither did Eddy Merckx, who made his first-ever trip to Vancouver to headline Team Wedgewood's sold-out Evening of Champions last Friday. They raised over $100,000 for the BC Cancer Foundation, with half going to breast cancer programs at the BC Cancer Agency's Centre for the Southern Interior in Kelowna, and the other half going to the Agency's research into testicular cancer province-wide.
"I received such wonderful care from the BC Cancer Agency," Cross explained. "I strongly believe that working together we can make a difference, and I wanted to help other breast cancer patients in Kelowna and B.C."
Event organizer Philip Meyer is the general manager of the Wedgewood Hotel, sponsor and member of Team Wedgewood and a testicular cancer survivor. Proceeds from all the team's fundraising events are designated to benefit the BC Cancer Foundation.
At a news conference Friday afternoon, Axel Merckx compared his high-risk sport to the experience of fighting cancer. "The challenges and the pain I face as a cyclist are a result of what I choose to do," he said. "Colleen and Phillip did not choose their path through cancer. What they've been through is much tougher than anything I've done."
Eddy Merckx' reasons for appearing at the fundraiser were also personal. "Cancer has affected my son's mother-in-law, my friends and my fellow riders in the cycling community. I am happy that my first visit to Vancouver is to support cancer research through the BC Cancer Foundation. I hope it can make a difference," he said.
Team Wedgewood plans to hold an annual Evening of Champions for the BC Cancer Foundation. For more information about this year's event or plans for next year's fundraiser, contact the BC Cancer Foundation at 604-707-5904 or visit: www.teamwedgewood.com.
The BC Cancer Foundation is a charitable organization that raises funds to support research and care at the BC Cancer Agency, throughout the province.
Media Contact: For more information or interviews with breast cancer survivor/fundraiser Colleen Cross please contact:
Penny Noble, APR,
Director of Marketing and Communications
BC Cancer Foundation
Phone: 604-707-5902 Cell: 604-805-5637
pnoble@bccancer.bc.ca
For information on Team Wedgewood please contact:
Phillip Meyer
General Manager
Wedgewood Hotel
Phone: 604-608-5311
pmeyer@wedgewoodhotel.com
www.wedgewoodhotel.com
www.teamwedgewood.com
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