Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and RBC partner to help youth with
mental health issues
TORONTO, May 6, 2013 /CNW/ - Canadian Olympians, RBC employees, Sunnybrook staff and members of the
community came together today to help launch the first RBC Run for the Kids event in Toronto. The RBC Run for the Kids will take place over the weekend of September 21 to 22, 2013. The event
will support the creation of the Family Navigation Project, within
Sunnybrook's leading Youth Psychiatry Program.
"As many as two million Canadian youth struggle with a mental health or
addictions problem, and yet only one in five will get specialized
treatment," said Dr. Anthony Levitt, co-chair of the Family Navigation
Project and a psychiatrist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. "This
is in large part because families don't know where to go or how to find
the services that their children need. The Family Navigation Project
will give youth with mental health issues and their families a place to
start and a path to follow."
A unique weekend event
The RBC Run for the Kids takes place over the entire weekend of September 21 to 22 and includes
three different run components - a 5K run/walk, a 15K challenge and a
25K race - all in and around the Sunnybrook neighbourhood. Each
component is represented by a different colour, something that was
reinforced at today's launch as teams of runners, led by RBC Olympians
Greg Westlake, Kevin Rempel, Mikael Kingsbury and Jennifer Botterill,
dressed in blue, green and yellow, gathered on the Sunnybrook grounds.
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The event's 5K 'participate' run/walk - represented by the colour blue -
is open to all ages, individuals and teams.
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The 15K 'get moving' challenge - represented by the colour green -
encourages youth to be active, an important part of physical and mental
health, by having them pledge to run a minimum of 15 km, with the final
five kilometres being run at the event.
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The event's 25K 'go further' race - represented by the colour yellow -
enables runners to challenge themselves by going beyond the
half-marathon distance without having to run a full marathon.
"We understand the toll that mental health issues can take on children
and families, as well as our workplaces, schools and communities," said
Jamie Anderson, Head of Corporate Strategy & Development, RBC and
Executive Champion, RBC Children's Mental Health Project. "Through the
RBC Children's Mental Health Project, we are pleased to provide funding
to critical initiatives like Sunnybrook's Family Navigation Project
through the RBC Run for the Kids."
"We've set our sights high for the RBC Run for the Kids event, with a fundraising goal of $800,000," said Dr. Jon Dellandrea,
President & CEO of Sunnybrook Foundation. "Achieving our goal will
ensure this important program is up and running and helping youth in
the Greater Toronto Area by the end of 2013. We are looking to our
donors and the community to rally around the event and support this
important cause."
Supporting an important cause
Funds raised through the RBC Run for the Kids will support the creation of the Family Navigation Project. This is a
first-of-its-kind program in Canada to help families navigate the
complex web of mental health services, ensuring youth get quick access
to the right care, and meeting the needs of families with youth seeking
mental health services. The Project aims to reach at least 1,000
families annually, and ideally, it will become a model other treatment
centres can follow.
"At Sunnybrook, we are committed to providing the best care possible for
youth with mood and anxiety disorders, and our research in this area
helps shape best practices across the country," said Dr. Barry
McLellan, President & CEO, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
To register or find out more information about the RBC Run for the Kids event visit www.rbcrunforthekids.ca.
About Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is inventing the future of health care
for the 1.2 million patients the hospital cares for each year through
the dedication of its more than 10,000 staff and volunteers. An
internationally recognized leader in research and education and a full
affiliation with the University of Toronto distinguishes Sunnybrook as
one of Canada's premier academic health sciences centres. Sunnybrook
specializes in caring for high-risk pregnancies, critically-ill
newborns and adults, offering specialized rehabilitation and treating
and preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological and
psychiatric disorders, orthopaedic and arthritic conditions and
traumatic injuries. The Hospital also has a unique and national leading
program for the care of Canada's war veterans. For more information
about how Sunnybrook is inventing the future of health care please
visit us online at www.sunnybrook.ca.
About RBC's Commitment to Community and Sustainability
Royal Bank of Canada (RY on TSX and NYSE) and its subsidiaries operate
under the master brand name RBC. We employ approximately 80,000 full-
and part-time employees who serve more than 15 million personal,
business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in
Canada, the U.S. and 49 other countries. RBC is recognized among the
world's financial, social and environmental leaders and is listed on
the 2012 - 2013 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the DJSI North
American Index, the Jantzi Social Index and the FTSE4Good Index. RBC is
one of Canada's Greenest Employers, one of Canada's 50 Most Socially
Responsible Corporations and among the Global 100 Most Sustainable
Corporations in the World. Learn more at www.rbc.com/community-sustainability.
RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives through donations,
sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2012, we contributed
more than $95 million to causes worldwide, including donations and
community investments of more than $64 million and $31 million in
sponsorships.
SOURCE: RBC
