Croix-Rouge Luxembourgeoise and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) yesterday announced the launch of the very first edition of the RBC Race for the Kids fundraising event which will take place on 25 October 2015.
The Luxembourg branch of the humanitarian organisation the Red Cross has teamed up with one of the five biggest banks in North America, RBC, to create a new event which will raise money for the Centre Thérapeutique Kannerhaus Jean.
The event, entitled 'RBC Race for the Kids' was first organised in New York in 2008, and subsequent events in international cities, including London, Sydney and Hong Kong, have raised more than €10 million for children around the world.
Now it is the turn of the Grand Duchy to hold the event, which will be comprised of a 5km race around Luxembourg City's 'Kinnekswiss' park for people of all ages and capabilities. There is no time limit or competitive element to the race, but rather is
an initiative designed to raise funds for children in need in a way that will be fun for all the family.
All money raised will go to supporting the Kannerhaus Jean, a centre offering a range of therapies for children aged between 4 and 17 who are suffering from psychological and behavioural problems. Kannerhaus Jean provides two services, in the form of an outpatient unit responding to problems of the children and families affected through the use of animal therapy, child-parent support and academic advice for the concerned's teachers; and a semi-live-in unit providing more intensive therapy to children with more serious problems who can benefit from therapeutic and psychological support for four days a week.
"It is about creating an environment where children can be in front of a living being with which they can create a relationship," said Luc Scheer, Member of the Executive Committee of the Luxembourg Red Crss, of the animal therapy component to the centre's activities, which provides horses, goats, dogs and rabbits for the children to interact with.
However, with the high maintenance involved in such a therapy, as well as a number of children in the outpatient unit which has doubled to 139 in the last three years, the Centre requires funding to keep the activity going and develop it further.
It is for this reason that the RBC Race for the Kids event will be held here in Luxembourg, with the organisational support of the Ville de Luxembourg.
"The RBC Race for the Kids race has been a great success in our other key markets and is certain to be well-received here," explained Yves Lahaye, General Manager of RBC Investor Services Bank S.A., RBC Investor & Treasury Services. "RBC has over 1,200 employees in Luxembourg who are bringing in real support for the event organisation and collecting donations for a good cause. We are committed to developing the RBC Race for the Kids in Luxembourg and making it a not-to-be-missed charity do, as we have done for our other international markets".
The associations have also set up an Alvarum fund-raising page, where members of the public can create their own page and start raising money towards the project, irregardless of whether they wish to participate in the 'Kinnekswiss' course or not.
"The Red Cross depends on the support of the communits and its partners and we value the effort of solidarity generated by the Royal Bank of Canada in the development of the essential work carried out by our therapeutic centre Kannerhaus Jean in Luxembourg," continued Luc Scheer.
To register for RBC Race for the Kids, visit www.rbcraceforthekids.lu . To raise funds for the race, visit http://www.alvarum.com/croix-rougeluxembourgeoise/rbc-race-for-the-kids
Photo by Sarah Graham (L-R: Sébastien Danloy, RBC ; Luc Scheer, CRL ; Sam Tanson, First Alderman of the Ville de Luxembourg)
