7,000 runners will fundraise for 79 charities as part of Scotiabank Charity Challenge

MONTRÉAL, April 13, 2017 /CNW/ - Thousands of runners are marking the return of Spring by preparing for the 15^th annual Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal. One of Quebec's most important road races and fundraising runs, the Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal features the Scotiabank Charity Challenge supporting 79 local charitable organizations this year. Fundraisers are aiming to surpass last year's tally of $1.2 million.

"Thanks to our Scotiabank Charity Challenge participants' commitment, we've seen our fundraising efforts reach new heights year after year, helping make a direct impact in the community, said Carole Chapdelaine, Senior Vice President, Quebec and Eastern Ontario Region at Scotiabank. "We are thrilled to celebrate a year of growth: more runners, more distances, and more charities participating, in one special weekend."

Taking place over two days for the first time, and featuring two new distances – a Kids' Run of 500m and a new 10k race, the Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal will welcome nearly 7,000 runners across all distances, an increase of 25 per cent over last year!

"We are thrilled to see our two new distance races already at capacity," said Alan Brookes, Canada Running Series Race Director and President. "The Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal kicks off the season for runners while providing them with a way to make every step count – the support of 79 local charities. Both the athletic and fundraising performances will make this another great race weekend to remember.

The Scotiabank Charity Challenge is a turnkey fundraising program that provides a simple way for runners to support the charity of their choice and make a significant impact locally. Participating charities keep 100% of the proceeds raised, as Scotiabank pays for all transaction and credit card fees.

Scotiabank offers a Scotiabank Charity Challenge at six sponsored marathon events across Canada including Montreal, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto.

Scotiabank believe in helping young people reach their full potential, and many organizations who take part in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge have a direct impact in our local youth.  Young people are our future leaders, and it's crucial to provide them with the skills and resources they need to succeed.

For a complete list of 2017 charities participating in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, please visit the Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal's website.

Part of the Scotiabank Charity Challenge is a friendly competition between the charities for $24,750 in cash prizes consisting of $4,250for 1^st place, $2,500 for 2^nd, and $1,500 for 3^rd in the following categories:

• The Official Charity that has the most fundraising runners.
• The Official Charity that raises the most fundraising dollars.
• The Official Charity that raises the largest amount of pledge dollars per fundraising runner.

How to get involved:

• Register for an event: Register for Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal on the event website until Sunday, April 16^th at midnight.
• Fundraise: Once registered, sign up for the Scotiabank Charity Challenge and raise funds for a participating official charity.
• Share! Share your story behind why you support your charity, using #runScotia.
• Donate: Visit the Scotiabank Charity Challenge to select an official charity and make a one-time donation.
• Cheer: Support friends and family along the race route and as they cross the finish line. You can also show your support to runners online by using the hashtags #SCOTIA21KMTL and #runScotia.

About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and Asia-Pacific. We are dedicated to helping our 23 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 88,000 employees and assets of $887 billion (as at January 31, 2017), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York Exchanges (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

About Canada Running Series
Canada Running Series is the nation's premier running circuit with 7 events: 4 in Toronto, 2 in Vancouver and 1 in Montreal.  It annually attracts some 60,000 participants and raises more than $6 million for some 320 mostly-local charities.

The Series includes the IAAF Gold Label Scotiabank 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." Join us at www.RunCRS.ca

SOURCE Scotiabank