Calgarians take part in RBC Race for the Kids to raise money for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation

About 1,600 people laced up their runners on Sunday for a new event in Calgary aimed at helping kids.

The first-ever RBC Race for the Kids was held at Heritage Park.

The 1K Kids Dash took place inside Heritage Park Historical Village and the 5K Family Fun Run was along the pathways of the Glenmore Reservoir.

Global Calgary’s Jordan Witzel and Brendan Parker hosted the run.

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The new event is a fundraiser for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. The run is aimed at raising awareness of youth mental health issues and funds will focus on specialized programs for young people. Money raised will help improve mental health literacy in schools.

“One in five people suffer from a diagnosable psychiatric concern making mental health issues the largest issue facing young people today,” said Saifa Koonar, president and CEO of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. “Everything from anxiety to depression. The money from this race is going to support mental health literacy, which is about embedding mental health into the classroom into the Grade 9 and Grade 10 curriculum.

Organizers say with earlier intervention, it’s hoped young people can get the help and support they need well before their concerns turn into crisis. They said seventy per cent of mental health issues start in childhood or teen years.

Sunday’s RBC Race for the Kids was sold out and raised nearly $300,000.