Official start of the Ride of the Little Black Dress

ACT Chief Minister and Minister for Health, Katy Gallagher MLA will today officially start the
Ride for the Little Black Dress, an initiative of the Jodi Lee Foundation, which promotes awareness and prevention of bowel cancer.

The Ride for the Little Black Dress will take 21 cyclists on a 1000 kilometre journey from Canberra to Melbourne to raise funds and promote awareness of bowel cancer.

"It is a wonderful opportunity to promote awareness of the second most prevalent cancer in ACT and Australia, that affects equally, men and women, in the prime of their lives," the Chief Minister said.

The Jodi Lee Foundation was established in 2010 by Nicholas Lee, after his wife Jodie Lee died of bowel cancer at the age of 41. The ride, which is a key event for the foundation was named the Ride of the Little Black dress because the little black dress was Jodi's outfit of choice. In her honour the male bike riders wear a little black dress (tu tu's attached to lycra outfits) for the ride. This has thus become an iconic image for the Foundation and all of their events.

"The Foundation aims to encourage people to be screened annually from age 40 with around 90% of bowel cancer is curable, if detected early," the Chief Minister said.

Funds donated to the Jodi Lee Foundation will go to a necessary and effective cause, to offer the opportunity for regular screenings at workplaces, and to increase research into the early detection and timely treatment of the bowel cancer.

"I would like to encourage ACT residents and all Australians to become aware and educated about bowel cancer, and how best to prevent it, detect it and stay cancer free," the Chief Minister concluded.

The ACT Government is strongly committed to preventing cancer and promoting cancer awareness.

The ride will leave from Parliamentary Precinct, Forecourt Area, on Saturday 10 March at 10am.