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Three down, seven to go - Cross-Canada cyclist reaches Ontario

Canada Post announces that it will match donations made during tour to support mental health

OTTAWA (July 12, 2010) - Wayne Stremel, the Canada Post employee who is cycling across Canada to raise awareness of the issue of mental illness and funds for the Canada Post Foundation for Mental Health, has reached Ontario in 38 days. Averaging 80 km daily, Wayne has now travelled over 3,000 kilometres of his planned 7,500 km, 22-week Out of the Shadows tour across Canada.

“I’ve been completely overwhelmed by Canadian generosity and touched by some of the stories shared by people we’ve met,” Wayne says. “It’s no surprise, when one in five Canadians will be touched by mental illness in their lifetime; that so many people identify with what we’re doing.”

As word of Wayne’s project spreads, he’s being greeted by fundraisers of all kinds. BBQ’s, socials, friendly challenges between area post offices and donations he’s received from people met along the way, have resulted in over $12,000 being raised in the tour’s name. Canada Post has announced it will match donations made in support of the Tour, to a maximum of $150,000.

“All of us at Canada Post are incredibly impressed with Wayne’s project,” notes Anthony Wilson-Smith, Vice-president of Communications and Public Affairs, with responsibility for the mental health cause at Canada Post. “This Tour is a wonderful opportunity for Canadians to hear, first-hand, of the work being done by Canada Post employees to change the conversation around the issue of mental illness.” Over the past two years, Canada Post has raised—thanks to the generosity of all Canadians and its employees—$2.5 million for the Canada Post Foundation for Mental Health.

Despite some wet weather and route changes mandated by washed out roads, the Tour is right on schedule. The Out of the Shadows Tour began on June 2 with a dip of Wayne’s bicycle tire into the Pacific Ocean at Parksville, B.C. It will end in September at Neils Harbour, Nova Scotia, after making a detour via ferry to St. John's, Newfoundland. Canada Post is proud to support Wayne’s effort and encourages Canadians to visit his blog at www.outoftheshadowstour.ca, where they can keep pace of the tour’s progress, emerging information, upcoming events and donate to the Tour.