Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre’s (RVH) Child and Youth Mental Health Program is set to receive proceeds from RBC Race for the Kids which raised over $120,000. These funds will help expand critical mental health care resources for children and youth in Simcoe Muskoka and create safe and welcoming spaces where patients can receive personalized treatments closer to home.
The RBC Race for the Kids culminated in a celebration event hosted at Allandale Station Park on October 15, 2023. RBC representatives, Randy Tredenick, Regional Vice President of RBC Royal Bank and Ronda MacPherson, Vice President, Commercial Financial Services were on hand to thank participants. Representing RVH was Gail Hunt, RVH President and CEO, and Melissa Lambert, Manager, RVH Child and Youth Mental Health Program. Overall, the afternoon focused on fun, family-friendly ways to celebrate the achievements of all 2023 participants and the community’s extraordinary contributions to child and youth mental health.
“We’re tremendously proud of how Team RBC and the community came together to show young people who are struggling with their mental health how much they care about their well-being,” said Ronda MacPherson of RBC. “Funds raised will help ensure RVH’s Child and Youth Mental Health Program provides youth in our community access to the care they need.”
“A huge thank you to the entire team at RVH for helping youth and their families connect with the right resources,” added RBC’s Randy Tredenick. “You are truly making a difference in their lives.”
Over 260 participants fundraised on behalf of the Child and Youth Mental Health Program at RVH. As the effects of the pandemic on the region’s youth continue to come into focus, these programs allow children to receive critical mental health care close to their homes, families, and support networks.
“When it comes to supporting Child and Youth Mental Health Programs at RVH, every little bit counts,” said Gail Hunt, RVH President and CEO. “We rely on community initiatives like RBC Race for the Kids, as well as support from generous individuals, to help achieve our goals of being able to offer world-class mental health care to every young person that needs it in Simcoe Muskoka. Funds raised through RBC Race for the Kids will go a long way towards protecting the future of this region by ensuring that children have access to critical mental health resources.”
Annually, RVH sees over 600 children under the age of 18 visit the emergency room because of a mental health crisis. In 2022, close to 1,500 children and youth received care through RVH’s Child and Youth Mental Health Program. Events like RBC Race for the Kids remain critical towards the expansion of these life-saving programs.
