Around the Bay race launch

The 119th annual Around the Bay Road Race was officially launched Wednesday, and in true Hamilton fashion the launch took place at a Tim Horton’s on Kenilworth Avenue.

The launch was preceded by an announcement of a charity initiative by former Hamilton Tiger-Cats lineman Dave Sauve to raise raise money for scleroderma research at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Sauve and four others participants in the 5 kilometre race will each raise $5,000 for a total of $25,000.

This is the ninth year the bay race has been a signature fundraising event for St. Joe’s, and this year it hopes to raise a total of $300,000 for the hospital.

Video: Dave Sauve talks about his motivation: