RBC run/walk for the kids

Bridgetown, Barbados will be joining an exclusive list of cities across the globe when the University of the West Indies hosts its RBC “Race for the Kids” event on April 17th this year.

The fund-raising venture, which is aimed at supporting the university’s Cave Hill Campus’ scholarship programme, is set to come off in conjunction with RBC Royal Bank.

The event, which will take the form of a 5K Run and Walk locally, is part of a larger commitment – the RBC “Kids Pledge”, which is a five-year $100 million promise to improve the well-being of one million children and young persons across the world. With Barbados being the first country to host the event for the year in the southern hemisphere, the island has also joined the fold as the ninth city with, New York, Toronto, Chicago, London, Minneapolis, Sydney, Trinidad and Tobago, Hong Kong already in the mix with several others such as Kuala Lumpur, Calgary and Luxembourg getting their own iterations in the near future.

Speaking during a media briefing held at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination yesterday, Managing Director of RBC Royal Bank Kevin Darling stated that the funds raised would be going toward assisting incoming and existing students to the university’s programmes as he was aware of the special situation in Barbados.

“We all know that since 2013, there has been a financial burden for some to attend university – something that was new for Barbadians – and this will help some that can’t afford to get here to get into school and further their education and help Barbados in the future.” he said.

With RBC starting their relationship with the university back in 2005 with donations made towards the Errol Barrow centre, the partnership is still a strong one as the third instalment of three-year bursary was also made during yesterday’s conference.

Professor Eudine Barriteau, Pro Vice Chancellor and Principal of the Cave Hill Campus was also on-hand and said that the partnership was a welcome one as education was of the utmost importance in the development of the lives of persons in the region. “Establishing a scholarship for deserving UWI students can make all the difference to their lives. Education, in particular higher education, has played a pivotal role in transforming the lives of individuals and families in the Caribbean, empowering them to advance socially and economically, while enabling them to become productive citizens.” she said.

With Easter Monday set for the event, all are invited to take in the run and walk. The course is expected to go from the University Hill branch of RBC Royal Bank to the Barbados Light and Power on Spring Garden before making a U-turn and heading to the Usain Bolt Sports Complex. The run is slated for a 4 pm start with warm-up activities by Bassa Bassa at 3:30.