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Well, thousands of runners and walkers laced up their sneakers today in support of CHEO. The CHEO RBC Race for the Kids at Wesley Clover Park is in its tenth year, supporting pediatric care. Carrick, and now we have Kimberly Johnson from CTV in the studio, who was at the race today. How did it go, Kimberly? It was incredible for everyone I spoke to; This year, they raised over $1 million, all of which will go toward the CHEO redevelopment project, which includes a new integrated treatment center scheduled to open in 2028. Many families I spoke to at the race say that participating today is a way to thank the hospital staff who have done so much for them.
The race was started in support of pediatric care. I feel great. CHEO helped me when I was younger, so this is my way of saying thank you. More than 2,000 runners, walkers and their fans joined the 10K, 5K and 2K races as part of the CHEO RBC Race for the Kids family celebration at Wesley Clover Park. This is simply amazing. This energy, this passion, everyone is cheering. Aylmer's First Girl Scout Troop joined in support of 2-year-old Cassidy, who is a frequent visitor to CHEO.
She is a happy little child. She was born with a rare genetic condition called Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. Because of this, it grows too fast. She also recently underwent treatment for cancer, and doctors confirmed that the disease was in remission. You would never guess that she suffers from this genetic disease and is undergoing chemotherapy and hormone treatment. It's hard for a two-year-old, but she's in a great mood. Great-grandmother Cassidy pays tribute to the doctors, nurses and hospital staff. If it weren't for CHEO, she wouldn't be here, and their care- I can't find the words to express my gratitude. Thank God we have CHEO.
This is the 10th anniversary of the event, and over $5 million has been raised during that time, and today that amount has grown even more. We raised $1,16,168. They will go to the CHEO renovation project, which aims to transform pediatric care and support children with complex needs. The main gem is an integrated treatment center that will change the lives of families who are currently forced to transport children all over the city. And so, having everything under one roof, connected to the hospital allows us to grow with needs, change, and reduce wait times.
This requires over 200 volunteers to make it all happen. The event will be hosted by CTV News Chief Anchor Patricia Boal, sponsored by Bell Media. The community came to support. This is such a good cause, and it's so wonderful to come together as one community and experience it together. Yes. The event brought together hundreds of volunteers and required 1,200 volunteer hours to organize. This race brings CHEO one step closer to opening a comprehensive treatment center.
Yes, over a million dollars. This is an extraordinary achievement. CTV's Kimberly Johnson reports for us live. Thank you.
