OBAC to Sponsor Special Guest Speaker at Convoy for a Cure

OTTAWA, Ont. (October 5, 2008) – The Owner-Operator's Business Association of Canada will be sponsoring a very special guest speaker at the finale of the all-woman Convoy for a Cure later this month. Anna Capobianco-Skipworth, who teaches English as a second language and is a commissioner on the Riverside School Board on Montreal's south shore, survived two mastectomies within 13 months. She now gives breast health conferences.

"I just love life, and try to live it to the fullest," Capobianco-Skipworth says. "My husband and daughter have taught me that laughter is indeed the best medicine, probably because it's easier to laugh than to cry when I look in the mirror."

"We've arranged to have Anna speak because she is not only a breast cancer survivor, she's triumphed over the disease," says OBAC's Executive Director Joanne Ritchie. "Anna tells her story with passion and conviction, but more importantly, with a great deal of humour. We might find it difficult to laugh at such a serious illness, but Anna shows us how humor saw her through the darker moments of her treatment. This is the kind of life-affirming attitude we need to eventually beat breast cancer."

Capobianco-Skipworth will be riding in the convoy and speaking at the festivities which follow. Other activities include a barbeque (courtesy of Bob Lodge and the 730 Truck Stop), children's entertainment, and dozens of prizes. A mobile breast-screening unit will also be on-site.

"There's been tremendous interest in this first-ever Convoy for a Cure," Ritchie says. "OBAC is proud to be playing a role in the event, and while breast cancer is a more-than-worthy cause, I hope the convoy will also help promote awareness of the need for regular physical check-ups and a healthier lifestyle for all professional drivers."

The convoy leaves from the Fifth Wheel Truck Stop in Cornwall, Ontario (Hwy 401, exit 792) at noon on Saturday, October 18 and ends at the 730 Truck Stop in Cardinal, Ontario (Hwy 401, exit 730). The Fifth Wheel Truck Stop will be offering free breakfast and free truck washes for all participating drivers beginning at 8:00 a.m.

Additional information about the Convoy for the Cure and driver registration forms are available on the OBAC website (www.obac.ca) or at TruckStopQuebec (www.truckstopquebec.com). For participant convenience, completed forms can be faxed to OBAC's toll-free fax number, 888-205-9991 or e-mailed to convoi2008@live.ca.