show their drive this New Year

Fifth annual Driven to Quit Challenge launches today

London, Ontario, January 11, 2010 – The South West Regional launch of the Driven to Quit Challenge took place this morning in London. Attending the Regional launch were: Chris Bentley, MPP London West who brought greetings from the province and Linda Stobo representing the 9 public health units in southwestern Ontario. Canadian Cancer Society spokespersons were Laura Wall, Southwestern Regional Director and Nancy Korstanje, Smokers’ Helpline Senior Manager Community Integration and Promotion.

The Challenge is hosted by the Canadian Cancer Society, Ontario Division, with funding provided by the Ministry of Health Promotion in support of a Smoke-Free Ontario. The Challenge is presented in collaboration with local public health departments across Ontario.

Since 2006, The Challenge has been successful in motivating more than 101,000 entrants across Ontario to get on the road to better health with the support of a “buddy” and motivating prizes.

This year, a 2010 Ford Escape hybrid, two $5,000 vacation getaways and seven regional prizes are up for grabs to Ontario smokers and tobacco users who pledge to quit this March.

Friends and family members of smokers are encouraged to become a support buddy in The Challenge for their chance to win a buddy prize. The Challenge will have regular updates and quit tips available on Facebook© and Twitter™. Visit DrivenToQuit.ca for more details.

To register and for details about The Driven to Quit Challenge, visit www.DrivenToQuit.ca or call the Canadian Cancer Society Smokers’ Helpline at 1 877 513-5333. Registration is open from January 4 to February 28, 2010. Those who register by January 31, 2010, will qualify for the early bird prize of a $1,000 MasterCard gift card.

The Canadian Cancer Society Smokers’ Helpline is a free, confidential service that provides personalized support, advice and information about quitting smoking and tobacco use. The service is available in English and French at 1 877 513-5333 and online at www.SmokersHelpline.ca.

The Driven to Quit Challenge is hosted by the Canadian Cancer Society, Ontario Division, with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and generous prize support from McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson Inc. The Driven to Quit Challenge is presented in collaboration with local public health departments across the province.

About the Canadian Cancer Society, Ontario Division

The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of volunteers whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more about cancer, visit www.cancer.ca or call the bilingual Cancer Information Service, toll-free, at 1 888 939-3333.

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