5K race raises $315,000 for research at Comer Children's Hospital

1,900 runners take the field in annual RBC Race for the Kids at Comer Children's

October 20, 2016

The 14th annual RBC Race for the Kids at Comer Children's raised more than $315,000 to support pediatric research at the University of Chicago Medicine.

More than 1,900 runners and walkers toed the starting line at the Oct. 16 race, which started and ended on the University of Chicago's main quad. The family-friendly event included a 5K run/walk, a kids' dash and a kids' mile. It is one of the main fundraisers for the 172-bed children's hospital.

Contributions from the race help UChicago Medicine physicians conduct research into childhood illnesses and disease. That, in turn, helps the hospital provide the best possible care for young patients.

"We're so profoundly grateful to all the families and organizations that come together each year for this very special event, which has become a mainstay for the Hyde Park neighborhood and the Chicago running community," said John Cunningham, MD, chairman of the department of pediatrics. "The money raised each year supports our vital work to improve children's health and fight childhood diseases."

Formerly called the Comer Kids' Classic, the race began in 2002 and is now part of Royal Bank of Canada's RBC Race for the Kids series.

"I was thrilled to take part in this year's RBC Race for the Kids Chicago for the first time," said John Thurlow, RBC managing director and Chief Operating Officer of U.S. Capital Markets. "We are proud to support the RBC Race for the Kids Chicago and come together as a firm to help raise funds to develop treatments and preventions for childhood diseases. The success of the event underscores the firm's camaraderie, unique culture and our mission of helping clients thrive and communities prosper."

About RBC Race for the Kids

RBC Race for the Kids is an exciting series of 12 charitable runs supporting children's causes in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Trinidad & Tobago, the United Kingdom and the United States. Increasing in popularity every year, RBC Race for the Kids events have attracted more than 110,000 participants to date, and raised over $CAD 26.6 million for children's charities around the world. The races are part of RBC's larger commitment to kids and youth through the RBC Kids Pledge, a five-year, $100 million promise to improve the well-being of one million kids and youth.

About RBC

Royal Bank of Canada is one of the largest banks in the world. It employs over 80,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 36 other countries. RBC's mission is to help clients thrive and communities prosper. RBC has been present in New York City for more than 100 years and is a leading corporate citizen in the support of the New York community, contributing millions of dollars annually, as well as time invested by hundreds of RBC employees.