Why We Ride
At any given time, cancer holds 10,000 Canadian children in its grip. It robs them, and their families, of the laughter and joy that should be part of every childhood. Participating as a riding, a volunteer, or a sponsor in the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride will channel your physical, mental and emotional energy into something much greater – helping brave children live with and beyond cancer and enjoy just being a kid. With each kilometre pedaled, collectively we will enrich the quality of life of Canadian children burdened by this devastating disease.
You will share the road with an enthusiastic group of athletes, weekend warriors, even people with little previous cycling experience, all united in their commitment to the childhood cancer community. Your passion is welcome and needed. Join us in this powerful and inspiring experience shared with new friends. Become a rider, a volunteer, or a sponsor, or make a donation and help us unite Canada to make a meaningful difference in the fight against childhood cancer.
About Childhood Cancer
While the causes of adult cancers include environmental, occupational and lifestyle factors, including diet, alcohol and smoking, the causes of childhood cancers are, in most cases, unknown.
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.
Leukemias, 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.
The stage of growth and development is another important difference between adults and children; the immaturity of children’s organ systems often has important treatment implications.
In the early 1950s, less than 10 percent of childhood cancer patients could be cured. Today, more than 70 percent of children diagnosed with cancer become long-term survivors and the majority of them are considered cured. However, the long-term effects of cancer treatments such as blindness, brain damage and ongoing learning and emotional disabilities can affect these children’s futures in a profound way.
The Sears National Kids Cancer Ride will fund programs that improve the lives of children living with cancer as well as those recovering from the physical and emotional scars that can be part of survivorship. Beyond the children themselves, their families and friends benefit from on-going support programs provided for by the National Kids Cancer Ride.
For more information about the Foundation’s work, please visit: www.coasttocoastagainstcancer.org
Still need help? Contact us with your questions or to help get you registered at 1 866 381 4446 or email us at: