TORONTO, May 24, 2019 /CNW/ - Tonight, at the Beyond Boundless event, in support of the SickKids Herbie Fund, Scotiabank announced a new $1 million donation to support Phase Two of the SickKids-Caribbean Initiative, a project with a goal of helping to build a sustainable program to diagnose and treat paediatric cancer and serious blood disorders in the Caribbean.

The initiative – in which Scotiabank is recognized as the Telemedicine Partner – connects doctors at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto with doctors in six countries in the Caribbean to help improve – and in many cases, save the lives of young people. In addition, medical professionals across the Caribbean have access to participate in educational programming in Canada without ever setting foot on a plane.

"Prior to 2013, young people diagnosed with cancer or blood disorders in the Caribbean faced major systemic challenges," says Ted Garrard, CEO, SickKids Foundation. "There were few specialized diagnostic services, minimal data on treatment efficacy, and few health-care professionals with specialized training in the region. At that time, SickKids recognized the opportunity to make a difference and developed the SickKids-Caribbean Initiative, with Scotiabank signing on as the first financial institution to donate $1 million to the program. Now, with Phase Two of the program underway, we are grateful for Scotiabank's continued support through this additional $1 million gift."

Phase Two of the project is designed with the ultimate goal of enabling a full transfer of leadership and future sustainability to the Caribbean partners currently working in partnership with SickKids, including the University of the West Indies, Ministries of Health and key hospitals and institutions from the six participating Caribbean countries. This approach aims to improve the access and infrastructure to services for young people with cancer and blood disorders in the Caribbean, with enhanced capacity for country partners to provide a timely, accurate diagnosis and high-quality follow-up care.

"Scotiabank is proud to invest in the SickKids Caribbean Initiative to help as many young people in the Caribbean community reach their infinite potential and the right to thrive, through the benefit of improved access to the best healthcare," says Pruyn Haskins, Global Head of Equities at Scotiabank. "Young people are our future leaders and we recognize what is possible when they receive the backing they need to succeed. We have seen the SickKids-Caribbean Initiative do just that and are confident that our renewed $1 million donation will continue to help families in need for many years to come."

As Canada's international bank, Scotiabank has operations in countries around the world. We recognize and celebrate the impact that the medical professionals, volunteers and support staff at SickKids have on the hospital's young patients – no matter where they live – and that is why Scotiabank has supported the hospital for more than 30 years and is proud to continue that support through the SickKids-Caribbean Initiative.

About Scotiabank
At Scotiabank, we aim to support organizations that are committed to helping young people reach their infinite potential. Young people are our future leaders and Scotiabank's goal is to help ensure that they have the necessary skills and resources they need to support their success. Together with our employees, the Bank supports causes at a grassroots level. Recognized as a leader for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2018, Scotiabank contributed more than $80 million to help our communities around the world. 

Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in the Americas. We are dedicated to helping our more than 25 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 98,000 employees and assets of over $1 trillion (as at January 31, 2019), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

About SickKids Foundation
Established in 1972, SickKids Foundation raises funds on behalf of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and is the largest charitable funder of child health research, learning and care in Canada. Philanthropy is a critical source of funding for SickKids – one of the world's foremost paediatric health-care institutions. Thanks to the generosity of the community, and as a result of a record-breaking year in fundraising, SickKids Foundation generated an unprecedented $146.3 million for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018. For more information, please visit sickkidsfoundation.com.

SOURCE Scotiabank