OTTAWA, ON - February 26, 2014 /CNW/ - Scotiabank has just expanded their support for Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend by becoming the title sponsor of the Ottawa Kids Marathon. On May 25, 2014, some 1500 children between grades 3 and 8 will take part in the Scotiabank Ottawa Kids Marathon, and new this year, their efforts will help support the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). The Scotiabank Ottawa Kids Marathon for CHEO is a chance for children to take part in the excitement of the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, the largest multi-race running event in Canada, and an opportunity to spearhead a practise of regular physical activity that is fun, rewarding and great for their health and self-confidence!

"CHEO has done so much for the health of children in Eastern Ontario, and Scotiabank's commitment to charitable causes has made a real difference in communities across the country," said John Halvorsen, Race Director, Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. "We're honoured to have the opportunity to use our popular Kids Marathon to work with Scotiabank and help raise funds for the CHEO Foundation."

In the Scotiabank Ottawa Kids Marathon for CHEO program, the children accumulate activity credits by participating in exercise activities such as running, soccer, cross country skiing, basketball or hockey prior to race day. Each half hour of activity is credited as one kilometre of a marathon (total 41 km) and is recorded on their official activity tracking sheet. On race day itself, the young marathoners line up on the start line to run the last 1 km of their marathon and get a taste for the exhilaration of running in a race.

"The Scotiabank Ottawa Kids Marathon for CHEO is truly a great fit for us because it embodies the healthy, active, lifestyle that we encourage all of our youth to embrace," explained Kevin Keohane, President & CEO of the CHEO Foundation. "We know that it will be very inspiring for our entire community to see students from grade 3 to grade 8 running on behalf of so many kids in our area whose health will not allow them to do so. We are excited to partner with Scotiabank to be part of this great event and we encourage all runners in Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend to join these kids by fundraising in support of CHEO."

In addition to the Scotiabank Kids Marathon for CHEO, Scotiabank had previously committed to supporting the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend by sponsoring the Ottawa Marathon, Ottawa Half-Marathon and the event's charity program.

"We are excited to support the new Scotiabank Ottawa Kids Marathon for CHEO," said Geoff Moore, Director at Scotia Private Client Group, Ottawa. "These young runners are getting a truly special opportunity to make their run this year more meaningful by lending their support to the fantastic work being done by CHEO. We look forward to cheering them on as they work towards their fundraising goals." 

Race kits for young runners in the Scotiabank Ottawa Kids Marathon for CHEO include a T-shirt, race bib, bag and a finishing medal.

The event will be held on Sunday May 25, 2014 at 8 a.m., where children will then finish the last 1.195 km of their marathon as their family and friends cheer them on.

For more information, download the information package on the Tamarack Ottawa Race weekend website at www.runottawa.ca. Help support physical activity in children and your local pediatric hospital by signing up your child, your classroom, your hockey team or scouting group. It's about the power of kids helping kids!

About the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
CHEO is a pediatric health and research centre providing outstanding family-centred patient care, pioneering breakthrough research, and training the health care professionals of tomorrow. CHEO is the second largest hospital in the Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) and one of only a few stand-alone pediatric hospitals in Canada. Last year, over 500,000 children and youth passed through its doors. CHEO has more than 2,500 doctors, nurses and additional staff dedicated to providing the best possible care for the children and youth of Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec, Nunavut and parts of Northern Ontario. CHEO works closely with the University of Ottawa as a teaching hospital and fosters groundbreaking research through the CHEO Research Institute. CHEO's vision is to change young lives in our community, while our innovation changes young lives around the world. www.cheo.on.ca

About the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend
The 2014 Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend will welcome 48,000 participants in six races, including the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon, the Scotiabank Half-Marathon, the Ottawa 10K, the HTG Sports 5K, the 2K and the Scotiabank Kids Marathon for CHEO. The Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon and Ottawa 10K are both designated Silver Label IAAF events by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF). Run Ottawa, the organization behind the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, is dedicated to promoting the sport of running and enhancing the health and well-being of our community by organizing distinctive world-class and local races, and managing an active, membership-based running club. Visit us at www.runottawa.ca.

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 additional information, please contact: 
Len Hanes
Director of Communications and Annual Giving
CHEO Foundation
(613) 737-2784
lhanes@cheofoundation.com