Racing to change the future of youth mental health - 2024 RBC Race for the Kids raises $2.6 million for Sunnybrook's Family Navigation Project

TORONTO, Sept. 21, 2024 /CNW/ - More than 8,100 participants took a giant step forward for youth mental health today, crossing the finish line for the 12^th anniversary of RBC Race for the Kids in Toronto. Collectively they raised $2.6 million in support of Family Navigation Project (FNP) at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Founded in 2013, FNP has changed the lives of thousands of youth with mental illness and/or addiction concerns and their families by connecting them with the specialized services they urgently need.

Quick Facts

Start line of the 12th RBC Race for the Kids (CNW Group/Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre)

• The 2024 RBC Race for the Kids is a 5 k.m. walk/ run charity race that takes place at Mel Lastman Square.
• The RBC Race for the Kids in Toronto, which is celebrating its 12^th year, has attracted more than 82,100 participants and raised a total of over $25 million to date for Sunnybrook's Family Navigation Project (FNP).
• FNP was founded by Sunnybrook psychiatrist Dr. Anthony Levitt and a group of parents who experienced challenges navigating the complex mental health care system to find help for their children.
• FNP connects youth (ages 11 to 29) and families with clinically trained professionals who conduct assessments, analyze needs and provide navigation of the health-care and social service system.
• A FNP survey confirms the urgent need for youth mental health navigation services. Nearly one-third of Ontario families are caring for at least one youth with mental illness and/or addiction.

Quotes

• "At RBC, our purpose of helping clients thrive and communities prosper is at the core of everything we do and underpins meaningful events such as RBC Race for the Kids," said Kristina Depencier, Regional President, Greater Toronto Region, RBC. "I feel a deep sense of pride each year as I witness colleagues, friends and families uniting to support such a worthy cause: supporting youth and their families as they navigate mental health challenges, setting them up for a thriving and promising future.
• "Each year I'm moved by how our community rallies together to support youth mental health. The entire team at FNP and I are extremely grateful to RBC and all the Race participants for the generous and long-standing support. Not only have they allowed us to help thousands of young people and their families, but it ensures that we can continue to help the youth of Ontario find the best mental health and addictions care they can."— Dr. Anthony Levitt, Medical Director of the Family Navigation Project at Sunnybrook.

About Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is inventing the future of health care for the 1.3 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.

Learn more at sunnybrook.ca. 

SOURCE Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Media contacts: Joshua Terry, Public Affairs Manager, Communications & Stakeholder Relations, 437-552-8517, [email protected]; Allie Martin, Pomp & Circumstance, 905-749-0228, [email protected]