Stittsville Woman (my sister) Can Count on Lance Armstrong to Support Fundraiser

It's small, neon yellow and has travelled the European countryside on Lance Armstrong's lower back.
And today, it will arrive in Anne Paliwal's mailbox.
"I'm just waiting with bated breath," said an excited Ms. Paliwal yesterday from her Ottawa home.
The package Ms. Paliwal has so eagerly anticipated won't be hers to keep: an autographed race number worn by Lance Armstrong during this year's Tour de France, soon to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The race number was donated by the 37-year-old Texan to help raise money for five cyclists injured last month in a horrific hit-and-run. The group was on an early-morning ride along Ottawa's March Road when a van plowed into them, sending all five to hospital with serious injuries.
Mr. Armstrong was moved by the tragedy, which he learned of almost instantly via social networking sites, said close friend and manager Mark Higgins.
Two days later, the champion cyclist spoke about the incident in a video message from Switzerland.
"I hope everybody there is doing well and we're all thinking about you," he said at the time, dedicating his ride on the 16th stage of the Tour through the Swiss Alps to the cyclists.
Ms. Paliwal was also deeply affected. An avid runner, she frequents the road where the cyclists were run down.
When she heard about the auction, Ms. Paliwal decided to help solicit donations. After seeing Mr. Armstrong's video message, she thought to herself, "Gee, I wonder if he'd donate something."
Ms. Paliwal fired off a message to an e-mail address on Mr. Armstrong's website, not really expecting a response.
But two days later, she got one. It was a note from Mr. Higgins, saying Mr. Armstrong "would love to include something" for the auction.
"I yelled and I screamed and went, 'Oh my gosh!' " Ms. Paliwal said. "I almost fell off my chair."
Mr. Higgins said the seven-time tour winner jumped at the opportunity to get involved with the auction.
He e-mailed Ms. Paliwal's request to Mr. Armstrong, who was in Aspen, Colo., preparing for the Leadville 100, a 100-mile mountain bike race taking place this Saturday.
"He immediately wrote me back and said, 'For sure, what should we send?' " Mr. Higgins said yesterday.
"I said, 'You still have the Tour stuff,' and he goes, 'For sure, let's send one of the numbers.' "
Mr. Higgins said Mr. Armstrong keeps his numbers from each stage, usually tucking them into his "race bible," a book of maps and directions distributed to all Tour de France competitors.
The numbers have adhesive on the back and Mr. Armstrong usually sticks them onto the page corresponding to the leg he has just raced, Mr. Higgins said. The donated number was torn from a page in this year's race bible.
The number will be auctioned off at a fundraising dinner on Aug. 17, along with about 70 other items, including bicycles, books and a print signed by sprinter Donovan Bailey and his gold medalist 4x100 teammates from the 1996 Olympic Games.
Two of the injured cyclists will attend the auction, said organizer Phil Marsh.
He originally expected to raise about $4,000 but now thinks donations could top $10,000, thanks to marquee items such as the Armstrong number. Proceeds will go toward replacing the smashed bicycles and helping pay for the cyclists' medical care.
Ms. Paliwal thinks people will be eager to bid on the Armstrong number, and is considering setting up an online bidding system for people outside Ottawa.
But as excited as she is about Mr. Armstrong's involvement, she doesn't want his star power to outshine the reason for the fundraiser.
"I don't want this to take away the meaning in this," Ms. Paliwal said. "I know this is Lance Armstrong, but this is really for the five cyclists."