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Cancer council And Santos Tour Down Uner Charity Partnership Continues In 2010

9th October 2009

Cancer Council SA will again have naming rights for the prelude event to the Santos Tour Down Under next year. The event will be known as the Cancer Council Helpline Classic.

The event – to be held in Adelaide’s Rymill Park on Sunday 17 January 2010 – will raise awareness of cancer and promote the Cancer Council Helpline (13 11 20).

For the first time, the Cancer Council Helpline Classic will be broadcast live on SBS. This year’s Classic attracted almost 140,000 people.

Tourism Minister Jane Lomax-Smith joined with Cancer Council SA Chief Executive Professor Brenda Wilson to announce the partnership with the Santos Tour Down Under.

“The State Government is extremely pleased to be working again with Cancer Council SA, as the charity partner for the Santos Tour Down Under,” Dr Lomax-Smith says.

“Lance Armstrong’s presence this year increased the profile of cancer awareness and helped highlight Cancer Council SA’s educational and cancer support messages.

“We worked hard to secure Lance Armstrong again next year and were thrilled when he agreed to compete. We know this will again have a positive impact on promoting cancer messages.”

Professor Wilson says the partnership is designed to help unite South Australians in the fight against cancer.

“This partnership allows us to communicate cancer prevention and awareness messages to a wide audience, uniting the community to take action against cancer.

“We raised $780,000 this year for the Cancer Council Helpline (13 11 20) and reached more than 35.5 million people worldwide in terms of media coverage, which is a fantastic result.

“Next year, there will be even more of a focus on the Cancer Council Helpline (13 11 20) and raising money for this vital program, which supports thousands of cancer patients each year.

“We’ll also be promoting health messages such as being SunSmart, leading a healthy lifestyle and quitting smoking to reduce the impact of cancer in South Australia.

“We’ll be launching a fantastic fundraising program in the coming months to coincide with the Mutual Community Challenge Tour and urge everyone with an interest in cycling to sign up.”

The Cancer Council Helpline Classic, a criterium race, is the traditional prelude to the Santos Tour Down Under, which runs from 17 to 24 January 2010: www.tourdownunder.com.au.

Media contact:
Public Relations Unit,
telephone +61 8 8463 4500
or email satc.pr.publications@saugov.sa.gov.au