Newswise — The 2023 RBC Race for the Kids at Comer Children’s will be held October 15, 2023 on Chicago’s South Side to raise funds for research into childhood illnesses and patient care.
The annual 5K event supports life-saving pediatric research at University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital, a 172-bed pediatric hospital that is part of the University of Chicago health system. In 2013, the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), one of North America’s leading financial services companies, became the race’s title sponsor. Since the race’s inception, approximately 18,000 people have participated, raising over $3.4 million for 26 research projects.
“The RBC Race for the Kids at Comer Children’s has bolstered the work of our research and patient care teams to tackle some of the most challenging threats to children’s health and well-being, and galvanized the support of our community,” said John Cunningham, MD, George M. Eisenberg Professor of Pediatrics and physician-in-chief at Comer Children’s.
Now in its tenth year under RBC’s title sponsorship, the race will be fully in-person on UChicago’s campus and the surrounding Hyde Park neighborhood for the first time since 2019. Participants can join a 5K run or walk, a Kids’ Mile and a Kids’ Dash.
“We are excited to be celebrating ten years as the title sponsor of the Chicago RBC Race for the Kids. It provides a great opportunity for our employees to give back to the Chicago community and support a great cause,” says Keith Solomon, Head of Municipal Products at RBC Capital Markets. “Comer Children’s is a top-tier organization, and we are proud to play a part in the research and important work they are doing.”
Comer Children’s Hospital strives to provide the best and most advanced care possible with an internationally renowned team of physicians, nurses, scientists, and other healthcare professionals.
As part of the largest hospital system on the South Side of Chicago, Comer Children’s treats some of the most diverse and challenging cases in the nation. Meanwhile, the hospital’s researchers are at the forefront of innovation, research, and discoveries that transform outcomes for patients. By partnering with neighbors and local leaders to address the most pressing health challenges in our community, Comer Children’s is committed to preventing and managing chronic diseases, building trauma resiliency, and reducing health inequities.
Proceeds from the race support Comer Children’s child life programs, which serve the needs of hospitalized children, such as music and play therapy. Research projects funded by the race include studies on improving treatment for cardiovascular disease, food allergies, health disparities among children of color, and liver disease.
Registration for the race opens Tuesday, August 15 on the RBC Race for the Kids at Comer Children’s website.
Impact
Contributions from the 2022 RBC Race for the Kids are helping Comer Children’s researchers measure cardiovascular changes in children with food allergies to detect early warning signs of life-threatening allergic reactions. Support is also allowing researchers to track the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children on Chicago’s South Side. In addition, last year’s race supported Jumpstarting to Independence, an eight-week outpatient program for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and their parents.
About Comer Children’s Hospital
The University of Chicago Medicine is one of the nation’s leading academic medical institutions. It unites the missions of the University of Chicago Medical Center, Pritzker School of Medicine and the Biological Sciences Division. UChicago Medicine has provided comprehensive medical care to children since its first pediatric facility opened in 1930. Comer Children's Hospital was established at UChicago Medicine in 2005 thanks to a generous donation from Gary Comer, founder of Lands’ End, and his wife, Frances. Comer Children’s is home to the only Level 1 pediatric trauma center on the city's South Side. It includes a 30-bed pediatric intensive care unit, one of the state's busiest neonatal intensive units and an array of general, specialty and subspecialty care for children of all ages. As a major tertiary referral center, Comer Children’s admits about 5,000 patients and accommodates nearly 37,000 outpatient clinics visits annually from the Chicago area, the Midwest and around the world, offering a range of services from general care to groundbreaking treatments for the most complex medical conditions. It is part of the Chicagoland Children’s Health Alliance (CCHA), a collaboration between Comer Children’s, Advocate Children’s Hospital and Pediatrics at NorthShore University HealthSystem. Learn more at www.uchicagomedicine.org/comer.
About RBC Race for the Kids:
RBC Race for the Kids has grown from a single Race in New York in 2009 into a series of more than 25 races that take place around the world. More than 360,000 participants have raised over $61.5 million for youth charities across the globe. Learn more at www.rbcraceforthekids.com.
About RBC:
Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 97,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada’s biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our 17 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.
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