Welcome to RBC Run for the Kids™

The Royal Bank of Canada and Sunnybrook have partnered to create the RBC Run for the Kids™ – a weekend of running to support youth mental health. Unlike other walks and runs, RBC Run for the Kids™ takes place over the entire weekend of September 21-22 and includes three different run components – a 5 km run/walk, a 15 km Youth Challenge and a 25 km run – all in and around the Sunnybrook neighbourhood.

• The event’s 5 km run/walk is open to all ages, individuals and teams.
• The 15 km Youth Challenge encourages youth 18 and under to be active – an important part of physical and mental health – by having them pledge to run/walk a minimum of 10 km PRIOR to the event day, with the final 5 km being run/walked at the event on September 21, 2013.
• The event’s 25 km race enables runners to challenge themselves by going beyond the half-marathon distance without having to run a full marathon.

All kids should feel healthy inside and out. That's why the RBC Children’s Mental Health Project was created. More than $16 million have been given to organizations dedicated to providing early intervention, increasing public awareness and reducing the stigma of mental illness.

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, in large part because families don’t know where to go, how to determine or how to find the services that their children need.

RBC Run for the Kids™ benefits Sunnybrook’s leading Youth Psychiatry Program and in particular, the Family Navigation Project (FNP) which will be established with the event’s support. The Family Navigation Project is a first of its kind program to help Canadian families navigate the complex web of mental health services, meeting a vital need of families with youth seeking mental health services. The project’s expert staff will navigate families through the complex web of available services, ensuring youth get quick access to the right care, and will remain in close contact to ensure the care is working.

By registering today, you can help families find the help they need.