HALIFAX, NS - May 05, 2014 /CNW - The countdown is on for the 2014 Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon weekend on May 17-18 and there is still time for participants and their supporters to give back to important causes through the Scotiabank Charity Challenge by selecting to support one of the 75 registered charities, including this year's featured charities, Brigadoon, Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation and Laing House.

"The Scotiabank Charity Challenge is a special part of the marathon weekend because it goes beyond the race to raise much needed funds for local charities," said Craig Thompson, Scotiabank Senior Vice President of the Atlantic Region. "I would like to congratulate the 2014 featured charities and encourage all of this year's participants and their friends and family to take part and help us reach our fundraising goal of $600,000."

"For a grassroots charity like Laing House, the Scotiabank Charity Challenge allows us to focus on recruitment and fundraising without our small team having to invest significant time and resources into event logistics," Robin Levy, Fund Development Officer at Laing House. "The Charity Challenge lets us maximize the funds raised as the costs can be kept minimal -- this means more money can go directly into Laing House's programs and services. For us these funds allow us to continue offering a safe and caring environment for youth living with mental illness. In addition to raising important funds, the Charity Challenge provides the opportunity to raise awareness about why mental health needs to be a priority for our community and how people can engage in supporting mental health initiatives and organizations."

Each year, three of our event charities are selected as featured charities, and these organizations will receive increased visibility and exposure through the Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon to help support their fundraising efforts.

2014 Scotiabank Charity Challenge Featured Charities:

1. Brigadoon - Brigadoon is a non-profit recreational facility on Aylesford Lake in the Annapolis Valley. They deliver camp programming to children, youth and families living with a chronic illness, chronic condition, or special need across Atlantic Canada. Brigadoon is a place where campers come to experience new things, meet friends who are facing similar challenges, and be themselves.

2. Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) - DMRF supports medical research at Dalhousie University's Medical School. In the early days of the foundation, a woman named Molly Moore made a donation of $5, saying "if we all give what we can, together we can make a big difference." Touched by her sentiment, the foundation named an annual campaign "The Molly Appeal" after her. Continuing Molly's tradition, the foundation team entry to the Blue Nose Marathon event is called "Molly's Runners."

3. Laing House - Laing House is a unique place that provides an environment of empowerment, growth and acceptance for youth 16-30 living with mental illness. Utilizing a peer support model, youth are encouraged to live healthier lives and create a supportive network.

The Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon provides a fundraising opportunity for both local and national charity groups through the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. Part of the Challenge is a friendly competition between the charities for a total of $24,750 in cash prizes in the following categories:

• The top three charities with the most participants
• The top three charities with the largest amount of pledges (total dollars raised)
• The top three charities with the largest amount of pledge dollars per fundraising participant

About the Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon
The Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon is one of the largest two-day sport participation events in Atlantic Canada. The race has grown every year since it started in 2004, and has welcomed over 80,000 participants to date. Blue Nose weekend kicks off on Saturday May 17, 2014 with the Doctors' Nova Scotia Youth Run at 11 a.m., followed by the Johnson Insurance 5k race at 3:00 p.m. All other race events, including the Full Marathon, Half Marathon, and 10k race take place on Sunday May 18, 2014. 

For more information, as well as a full schedule of events, please visit www.bluenosemarathon.com. 

Run with us online at:
Facebook: Facebook.com/BlueNoseMarathon
Twitter: @BNMarathon and #BlueNose2014

About Scotiabank: 
Scotiabank is a leading financial services provider in over 55 countries and Canada's most international bank. Through Bright Future, our global philanthropic program, Scotiabank and its employees support causes at a grassroots level across six pillars: health, education, social services, arts and culture, environment and sports. Recognized as a leader for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has contributed on average some $50 million annually over the last five years to community causes around the world. Visit us at www.scotiabank.com.

For more information or to arrange interviews with the any of the three, featured charities, please contact: 

Holly Dunn
902-422-6014
holly.dunn@dunnassociates.ca

Diana Hart
Scotiabank Media Communications
416 866 7238
diana.hart@scotiabank.com