Category

Charity

Jun 24 2024
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Vancouver Half Marathon & 5K Celebrates Exhilarating Race Day and Fundraising Success

By | Charity, General, Vancouver Half Marathon | No Comments

Vancouver, BC – June 23, 2024 

The Vancouver Half Marathon & 5K, hosted by Canada Running Series, celebrated a record-breaking day on the streets of UBC and Kitsilano this morning. Over 4500 participants in the half marathon and nearly 1000 in the 5K – the most in recent history – tackled the scenic course, showcasing the best of Vancouver’s running community with no shortage of joy, athleticism, and perseverance. The runners came from 8 Canadian provinces, 24 American states and 30 countries. Fully 4000 of the 6000 were aged 18-39, underscoring the arrival of a new running boom.

Thrilling Elite Races and Local Victories 

The Half Marathon distance boasted a solid elite list of Vancouver’s locals. In the Men’s Elite race, Justin Kent celebrated his return from injury and the recent birth of his daughter by taking off early and cruising to a convincing victory. Kent broke the tape with a 1:05:09, an impressive solo performance. As a new father, Kent’s lack of sleep from early parenting didn’t prevent his success, one he noted wouldn’t have been possible without the support of his wife and baby girl who cheered him across the line. While he can add the Vancouver Half to his portfolio of wins, Kent won’t be slowing down anytime soon, with sights now set on the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Canadian National Championship in October. Matthew Walker (1:11:30) and Sam Wensink (1:11:38) had a good battle for the second and third podium places.

Canada’s 2020 Olympic Marathoners Natasha Wodak and Dayna Pidhoresky paced alongside each other for the first 15 kilometers before Wodak took the lead, to finish in a time of 1:13:52. Pidhoresky hung on for second in 1:15:22 with Burnaby’s Jamie Hennesey 3rd in 1:18:47. “I wanted to run the first half of the race more on the more conservative side and I pushed myself over the last 6-8K,” said Wodak, giving her the chance to catch a pack of men over last mile joking “it’s always fun to hunt [them down]”.  

Charity Challenge Surpasses Goals 

Canada Running Series is proud to announce that the annual Charity Challenge surpassed its initial goal of $300,000 by nearly $100,000 expecting to round out donations at $400,000 for the 2024 Vancouver Half Marathon, an increase of over 52% from 2023. Fundraising remains open until July 22nd . 

Half Marathon Male:

  1. Justin Kent 1:05:09
  2. Matthew Walker 1:11:30
  3. Sam Wesnick 1:11:38

Half Marathon Female:

  1. Natasha Wodak 1:13:52
  2. Dayna Pidhoresky 1:15:22
  3. Jamie Hennessy 1:18:47

About Canada Running Series    

Canada Running Series is the nation’s premier running circuit with seven events: four in Toronto, two in Vancouver and one in Montreal. It annually attracts over 70,000 participants and raises more than $6 million for some 320 mostly local charities. The Series includes the World Athletics Elite Label TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon and the Athletics Canada National Marathon Championships. Since 1999, CRS has gained international recognition for innovation and organization.      

We are passionately committed to staging great experiences for runners of all levels, from Canadian Olympians and international stars to healthy lifestyle people and charity runners, and to making sport part of sustainable communities and the city-building process. Our mission is, “building community through the sport of running.”   

More info: https://canadarunningseries.com/    

Oct 01 2018
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West Neighbourhood House looks forward to a “celebration of community” at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

By | Charity, Scotiabank Charity Challenge | No Comments

Heading into its 10th year as part of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Charity Challenge, West Neighbourhood House stands out as one of the most recognized charity partners to take part in the program. A multi-faceted organization that provides a range of services and development programs to the west Toronto population, WNH is committed to community building and thus finds great synergy with the Scotiabank Charity and Neighbourhood Challenges.

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Aug 27 2018
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Youth leaders empowered to create mental health change with Scotiabank Charity Challenge

By | Charity, Scotiabank Charity Challenge, Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments

Jack.org’s presence in the endurance community underscores an important link between physical activity and mental health for its many youth leaders across Canada.

The Canadian charity “aimed at empowering youth to revolutionize mental health”, has been strongly partnered with various initiatives in the endurance sports world almost since its inception. Recognizing the important relationship between physical activity and mental health, the charity is involved in several large sporting events across the country — including the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

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Jun 12 2018
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Charity Spotlight: Jason Cole and Rand Surbey, racing for Cerebral Palsy Association of BC

By | Charity, Scotiabank Charity Challenge, Scotiabank Vancouver Half, Uncategorised | No Comments

For the seventh year, Jason Cole and Rand Surbey will be racing in the Scotiabank Vancouver Half marathon as part of a wheelchair team. Their goal? To raise money to support the Cerebral Palsy Association of BC. Oh, and a world record.

Their Story:

After damaging his knee during last year’s run and working hard to come back from injury, Jason will run again in 2018, pushing Rand again in an attempt to capture the elusive and challenging bid to capture to Guiness Record and support the Cerebral Palsy Association’s team. After seven years of breaking the world record but not having their time recognized due to an equipment technicality, Jason and Rand are coming back stronger than ever to prove their speed and determination.

 

“Thanks to Wheelin’ Mobility and the Cerebral Palsy Association of BC, who outfitted us with a racing wheelchair that matches the requirements of Guinness, Rand and I are back in training and preparing to take on the Scotiabank Half Marathon again this year on June 24th” said Jason. “Our goal since beginning our racing careers has always been to advance the inclusivity of fun athletic events, like running races and the Tough Mudder, regardless of people’s financial or physical status.”

 

Jason and Rand will be racing in costume and this year’s theme will super heroes, with Rand as the Hulk and Jason as Captain Canuck. As an additional incentive for fundraising, they have acquired a limited edition, minted $20 silver coin that was released from the Canadian Mint commemorating Captain Canuck, and are offering it as a prize draw, with entries available for anyone donating in excess of $50 to our fundraising efforts. The draw will take place at the finish line of the race.
 

CLICK HERE to support Jason and Rand, and the Cerebral Palsy Association of BC.

 

 

May 22 2018
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Why I Run

By | Charity, Scotiabank Charity Challenge, Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

Make this year’s Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k count with the Scotiabank Charity Challenge.

By Diana Hart

Time for Vancouverites to lace up their sneakers; runners of all ages are taking part in the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k on June 24.

At Scotiabank-supported marathons across Canada, people can make their runs count by taking the Scotiabank Charity Challenge and raising money for charities helping strengthen their communities. This year, we are highlighting Scotiabank Charity Challenge participants running for charities that help build a better future for young people in their communities.

Meet Jaylene

Jaylene Prime, 11, is taking the Scotiabank Charity Challenge alongside her sisters. They are raising money for Cassie and Friends Society, a not-for-profit, which supports children with juvenile arthritis and other rheumatic diseases, and their families.

Jaylene has a rare form of juvenile arthritis called systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA). With the support of Cassie and Friends Society, Jaylene and her family were successful in their battle to gain accessto an expensive medication to treat her life-threatening illness. She was the first child in B.C. to be granted public coverage to the medication canakinumab.

Jaylene explains why she’s excited to run the Scotiabank Charity Challenge this year.

WATCH VIDEO HERE

Link to original story HERE

Jaylene’s story is just one of many. Support Cassie and Friends or another Charity through the Scotiabank Charity Challenge and run for a cause on June 24th.

Already registered to race? You can still fundraise, click HERE to log into your race account.

Apr 30 2018
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Charity Spotlight: Alzheimer Society of B.C.

By | Charity, Scotiabank Charity Challenge, Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

The Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon is proud to support local charities as part of the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, with the goal of raising over $1,000,000 annually for local charities. Each year, charities such as the Alzheimer Society of BC build fundraising teams to support their causes, with runners participating in both the half-marathon and the 5k races.

Here’s a look at some team members raising money for the Alzheimer Society of BC:

 

Participant Name: Bark Kong

Goal Time: Under two hours for the half-marathon

Running wisdom: “Take the first step and be patient with yourself… it’s more about the process than the finish. Don’t go out too hard. It’s not a sprint; it’s like running a marathon, well…except it’s half. There is a lot of training information available on the internet, so find a program that works for you and decide to do it!”

Why he runs: “It’s both the challenge of doing something hard and the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve done it.”

What’s special about the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k: “Not only is this event a way for me to use my love for running to raise funds, it lets me get to know my friends and colleagues in a new and fun way. For example, I learned that Emily (Pridham, Manager, Regional Services for Vancouver Island) is really competitive – almost as much as I am.”

Bark is the veteran runner on the team. With six full marathons and eight half-marathons under his hydration belt, he’s more than ready to take on the mental challenge of 21.1 kilometres alone with his thoughts – with the help of a healthy cheering section on race day. This is the third consecutive Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k that he’ll tackle with the help of high-altitude, trail and road training and some intense metal in his headphones. Still smarting from a devastating loss last year to his worthy competitor, Emily Pridham, he has a new training program that is driven by the raw desire to come out ahead of his much younger colleagues. To show Bark your support, visit his fundraising page.

 

Participant Name: Emily Pridham

Goal Time: Under two hours for the half-marathon… and to beat Bark!

Message to other new runners: “Don’t be scared to try something uncomfortable. Ease in gently and set goals.”

What she learned about herself at her first Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k in 2017: “I was surprised by how into the fundraising I got. I got competitive because I saw [my teammates’] totals going up and I didn’t want to be left in the dust!” (Emily started her fundraising with tentative social media posts and ended up enthusiastically knocking on her neighbours’ doors.)

Emily is an avid cyclist, but until last year, she had never run more than 10k. A month before the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k, she was inspired by Bark and Theresa Frazao – who was also planning to run her first half-marathon for the Society – and she joined the team. The combination of her love for physical and leadership challenges, the healthy competition with her colleagues and the opportunity to embody the philanthropic spirit of the Society was enough to drive Emily to the finish line with little preparation. At the end of her dramatic debut, Emily beat Bark to the finish line by a minute. Complicating her win, however, shortly after the race, Bark learned he had been running with appendicitis. Now he’s back to full strength and ready for his re-match. Emily, with a year of running behind her, isn’t about to hand the top spot over to Bark – or the latest contender to join the office road race. To show your support for Emily, visit her fundraising page.

 

Participant Name: Allison Baker (aka, The Mystery Runner)

Goal Time: 1:45 for the half-marathon

Where she runs: Along the beach in Tsawwassen.

Why join the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k? “To be a part of a team. Running can be a very lonely sport. I’m excited to do it with a team because I’m extra competitive and I’m usually just competing with myself.”

Message to her teammates: “Bring it on!”

Earlier this year, when the Society team began to take shape at the provincial office, Allison threw her hat in the ring for the half-marathon – without revealing her identity to her teammates. At first, The Mystery Runner in the office sparked intrigue. Now that the secret’s out, so is the truth about Allison’s running resume. She has completed two full marathons and is now training for her third. Allison initially took up running at the age of 14 to impress her hockey coach and later fell in love with the endorphins she found pounding the pavement to her pop favourites. Will the ‘90s nostalgia of the Spice Girls and ‘N Sync propel her to the finish line before her colleagues? That part’s still a mystery. To show your support for Allison, visit her fundraising page.

 

Participant Name: Theresa Frazao

Goal: “To run a strong 5k in June and use these beautiful spring months to get outside and run again.”

Why she runs: “I love the endorphins and doing what I can to be fit and strong. I also love how meditative it is. It’s really hard to think about your problems when you are running.”

Run tunes: Fast, energetic pop songs to keep up her pace.

Last year Theresa completed her first half-marathon on the Society team. This year, she’ll be returning to the 5k distance and joining thousands of other runners and walkers on the shorter course. To all the less-competitive runners out there, Theresa has this to say: “5k is the perfect distance to participate in an event like this because you can run, you can walk or you can do a combination of the two. And you can recruit some friends to come out for the morning and walk or run with you! The crowds, the entertainment, the cheerleaders and the charity village all add to a great festival environment and you’ll have a blast while doing some good for the Alzheimer Society of B.C.” To show Theresa your support, visit her fundraising page.

Sep 01 2017
0
crew challenge

#UAeastside10k Crew Challenge

By | Charity, Eastside 10k | No Comments
Eastside 10k Crew Challenge Detail
  • The crews will be grouped according to the charity they are supporting and will be evaluated by the combined group effort. The group of Crews supporting the same charity is referred to below as the ‘Charity Team’.
  • The winning Charity Team will be the group with the highest total points accumulated across the 5 categories.
  • Each Charity Team must fundraise a minimum of $500 for their charity to be eligible for prizing.
  • Fundraising totals will be tallied based on online fundraising pages as of 6:00am PST race day, Saturday September 16, 2017. But fundraising will remain open 2 weeks after the event.
  • Runners must be registered on their appropriate teams, by the close of online registration, Monday, September 11, 2017 midnight PST to be counted for prizing.
The five scoring categories:
  • Fastest Team
    • Combined time of the three fastest female runners and three fastest male runners.
    • Scoring 3, 2, 1. Highest value = fastest Charity Team.
  • Largest Team
    • Total number of runners registered on your team that finish the run.
    • Scoring 3, 2, 1. Highest value = largest Charity Team.
  • Total Fundraising
    • Total amount of team fundraising for their charity.
    • Scoring 3, 2, 1. Highest value = most raised by Charity Team.
  • Average Fundraising
    • Total Fundraising divided by the number of runners. Giving an advantage to smaller crews.
    • Scoring 3, 2, 1. Highest value = highest average by Charity Team.
  • Charity Influence
    • Each Charity Team will be evaluated by their respective charity and awarded up to 3 bonus points.
    • The charities will evaluate the crew’s participation on Social Media influence (tagging and promoting fundraising), Volunteering (supporting the charity in person)
Prizing:
  • 1st Place
    • Unique placard denoting your 2017 Championship.
    • Canada Running Series Sponsors Prize package.
    • $500 donation to your team’s Charity.
    • 5 – 2018 Canada Running Series West seasons passes.
  • 2nd Place
    • $300 donation to your team’s Charity.
    • 3 – 2018 Canada Running Series West seasons passes.
  • 3rd Place
    • $100 donation to your team’s Charity.
Our 2017 Charity Partners:

DEWC

Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre

The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre (DEWC) is one of the busiest women’s centres in the country, operating a non-profit Drop-In Centre and Emergency Night Shelter in one of the poorest communities in Canada. DEWC is unique in that it is one of the only safe spaces within the Downtown Eastside specifically and exclusively for all women and their children, and has been a permanent and pertinent part of the community since 1978.

Instagram: @dewcvan
Facebook: @DowntownEastsideWomensCentre
Twitter: @DEWCvancouver

Greater Vancouver Food Bank

The Greater Vancouver Food Bank is a non-profit organization with a mission to empower people to nourish themselves by providing access to healthy food, education and training. The GVFB provides assistance to over 26,500 people weekly through 14 food locations and close to 100 and community agencies located in Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster and North Vancouver. The GVFB is committed to its vision of accessible, healthy and sustainable food for all and through community collaboration, is pro-actively working to help end hunger.

Instagram: @VanFoodBank
Facebook: @VanFoodBank
Twitter: @VanFoodBank

 

PHS Community Services SocietyPHS Community Services Society

PHS Community Services Society (PHS) is an innovative and well-established non-profit organization located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) community. The agency has extensive property management experience in complex mixed-use projects and primary care initiatives. The PHS improves the lives of thousands of vulnerable individuals each year through housing, health and support services. Clients served represent the most marginalized populations residing in Vancouver’s DTES and facing multiple barriers due to their mental health and substance use. Through many successful partnerships, PHS contributes to the development of best practices in health, mental health and harm reduction.

Instagram: @PHScss
Facebook: @PHSCommunityServicesSociety
Twitter: @PHScss

Aug 11 2017
0

Feature Friday – PHS Community Services Society

By | Charity, Eastside 10k | No Comments

Founded in 1993, PHS Community Services Society (PHS) is a non-profit housing, health care and community development agency providing services in Vancouver and Victoria, B.C.  PHS develops, maintains and advocates for affordable housing for adults who have been marginalized as a result of homelessness, physical, mental health and behavioural issues, substance dependencies and more. They also provide low-barrier harm reduction, drug treatment and primary health care services. 

PHS operates and manages 21 low-barrier residences and over 1,200 units of rental housing that include emergency shelters and transitional housing. In addition to providing housing, PHS offers a range of health care services that are both embedded in their housing, and available to the broader community. Their multidisciplinary team of physicians, specialists, nurses and social workers offers comprehensive primary care, mental health and addiction treatment services. They also offer monthly internal medicine, gynecology and women’s health clinics. 

In an effort to foster and grow a sense of community for marginalized people, PHS aims to empower, generate trusting relationships and help them to determine their own course of recovery. They see people, not their pathology, and work hard to offer stability, compassion and love to those who need it most. PHS believes that there are solutions to homelessness and the opioid crisis, and that implementing them will require love, resiliency and – most importantly – political will. 

PHS has developed a range of innovative community based programs to meet the diverse needs of the thousands of people they serve each year. Programs include needle distribution and collection, community gardens, low-barrier methadone treatment, managed alcohol programs, dental care, alternatives to traditional detox, and more.    

Above all, PHS strives to be a champion for social inclusion, a leader in social innovation, and an advocate for marginalized people whose voices are rarely heard.  PHS is perhaps best known for leading the advocacy effort to open North America’s first supervised injection site, Insite, in 2003. Advocacy remains a major focus for PHS today, and their work continues to yield remarkable results for the community. For example, PHS was there to fight against the closure of the low-barrier New Fountain Shelter 2011, and later this year, PHS will be operating the ‘new’ New Fountain Shelter on East Hastings that will open in 2017, thanks to the innovative planning and renewed funding of BC Housing. 

To learn more or make a donation, click here.