It was during a visit to his North Hatley home on a sunny long weekend in June of 2006 that my father-in-law, Don Wells, told us that he was undergoing chemotherapy treatments for malignant melanoma. It was clear from his appearance that he was in an advanced phase of his battle with skin cancer.

Don's discretion about his illness was no doubt part of his plan to manage its impact on those around him. Only a few months earlier, his daughter-in-law, Sue Kissau, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Not wanting to distract his son Mike from providing Sue and their two young children with much needed attention at such a challenging time, it seemed he decided his struggle would be mostly solitary. For many months, his burden was shared only with his wife, Mary, and his doctors.

He passed away a few weeks later on August 21st, having waged a dignified and courageous battle. His model of selflessness was one of his many gifts to us.

Don spent 34 of his 70 years working as a volunteer for the Montreal General Hospital. He served several terms on the Corporation, chaired the Hospital's Foundation and became a Board member of the MUHC, chairing its Planning Committee. In 2001 he was honoured with the Hospital's Award of Merit for his extraordinary volunteer contribution. I remember attending the award ceremony with Nancy and Mary. He was so proud. It's fitting that his final days were spent in the loving hands of the health care professionals at the Palliative Care Unit of the Montreal General Hospital, the renovation of which was funded by the Cedar's Cancer Institute.

Sue Kissau's battle against breast cancer was no less courageous. Her Lance Armstrong-like grit and tenacity helped this young wife and mother beat the disease and, in 2008, she and Mike welcomed their third child into the family - their own Tour de France comeback victory.

I'm raising money to ride with Lance in memory of the courage of Don Wells and in honour of his wife, Mary, and the "take no prisoners" attitude of Sue Kissau, who is today cancer-free. I'm also taking on this huge fundraising challenge to thank God that my own parents, Sam and Marlene Elkas, successfully battled cancer this past year and as a tribute to my friends, Rollie and Ann Blanchard, who, between the two of them, have lost six siblings to this insidious disease but happily not their good nature or humour.

My objective is to raise $25,000 for pediatric and adult oncology services through the Cedars Cancer Institute, the Sarah Cook Fund and the MUHC Cancer Care Mission. It's my own personal Mont Ventoux, the storied climb that has played host to the suffering and drama of a number of Tour de France stage finishes over the last 50 years. The Tour will once again visit the "Giant of Provence" this year and I hope to be able to ask Lance how it went if I reach my objective and qualify for the ride on September 11th.

Cancer touches us all in more ways than we realize. You can help turn this impact into a positive force by offering your emotional and/or financial support to those engaged in the front lines of the fight.

If you support my fundraising effort, your donation will help make a significant, tangible difference in the daily battle waged by the oncology health care professionals of the McGill University Health Centre, the patients they treat and the families who love and support them. Cancer is not an individual diagnosis, it affects everyone involved in the treatment and care of their loved one.

For more information about the Cedars Cancer Institute and how your donation will support the fight for prevention and treatment of cancer, click here http://www.tourdelance.ca/cause.html.

For more information about how you can support my ride in the 2009 Tour de Lance, check out www.myspace.com/joff_elkas.

Thank you so much.