Calling all Canadians: Clara's Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk gets ready to roll

• Bell announces Official Route and National Partners for Clara's Big Ride
• Six-time Olympian Clara Hughes to ride her bike around Canada, visiting schools and community groups in every province and territory to talk about mental health
• National Partners Aimia, BMO, Canadian Tire, Cisco, CTV, Lundbeck, President's Choice and Samsung helping to take the mental health conversation further than ever before
• Local mental health organizations across the country preparing to host Clara in their communities

MONTREAL, Oct. 10, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell today announced the Official Route and National Partners for Clara's Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk, the national bicycle tour around Canada by Clara Hughes in support of mental health.

Beginning March 14, 2014, and spanning 110 days, Clara's Big Ride will cover 12,000 kilometres through every province and territory, visiting 95 communities and connecting Canadians to the cause of mental health at the grassroots level.

"I can't wait to ride to communities in every corner of the country, meeting Canadians where they live and talking to them about how together we can make a real and positive difference in the nation's mental health," said Clara. "From Saguenay to Saskatoon, Kuujjuaq to Cranbrook, Fredericton to Fort McPherson and everywhere in between, mental illness directly impacts 1 in 5 Canadians and affects all of us in some way. I'm looking forward to sharing stories with people in these communities and so many more as we fight the stigma around mental illness and drive awareness and action in mental health."

Official Route
Clara's Big Ride kicks off in Toronto on March 14, 2014, rolling east through Ontario, Québec and Atlantic Canada, before returning to Northern Québec and heading northwest across Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and Yukon. Crossing the Arctic Circle on the legendary Dempster Highway, Clara will journey south to Vancouver Island and head east through British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Northern Ontario before finishing her ride on Canada Day, July 1, 2014, in Ottawa.

To see the Official Route map and a complete listing of the 95 communities Clara will visit, please visit Bell.ca/clarasbigride/map.

National Partners
Clara's Big Ride is powered by the support of our National Partners -Aimia, BMO, Canadian Tire, Cisco, CTV, Lundbeck, President's Choice and Samsung  - who are providing significant support for the ride. For more information on our National Partners, please visit Bell.ca/clarasbigride/partners.

"We thank the National Partners of Clara's Big Ride for their generous support in taking the conversation about mental health further than ever before," said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let's Talk. "A cross-section of leading names in Canadian and international business, our National Partners are enabling Clara's ride to fight the stigma and support grassroots mental health initiatives in communities across Canada."

Mental Health Advisory Committee
Clara's Big Ride is guided by an advisory committee of mental health experts from across Canada. Focused on ensuring a long-term legacy of community based mental health initiatives, the committee represents a range of mental health disciplines and linkages to local health and community organizations across the nation. To learn more about the Mental Health Advisory Committee, please visit Bell.ca/clarasbigride/partners.

Share in the Ride
Everyone can participate in Clara's Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk through local community events and social media. For more information, please visit Bell.ca/ClarasBigRide or follow the latest Ride news on Facebook at Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk or on Twitter at @Bell_LetsTalk.

The Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative is a national charitable program that promotes mental health across Canada with the Bell Let's Talk Day anti-stigma campaign and significant funding for community care, research and workplace best practices. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers and business customers with wireless, TV, Internet, home phone and business communications services. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio and digital media. Bell is wholly owned by Montréal's BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For more information, please visit Bell.ca.

SOURCE: Bell Canada