Run for RMHCNA Sets Record with over 600 Participants

Images courtesy of Linda Goymer and Tom de Mont via Lakeland Friends of RMHCNA’s Facebook

The Run for RMHCNA (Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern Alberta) broke a record for participants and raised over $60,000 with 643 runners, smashing their previous record of 500.

The fourth annual charity which took place on May 5 in Cold Lake had varying distances for each runner, including a 5km, 10km and half-marathon option. That coupled with more activities for kids may have lead to the record number this year.

“We tried to make it more of a community event by having a kid’s carnival, a kids zone, as well as a DJ. We also had face-painters and massage therapists for the participants to utilize when they finished the run,” said Oreen Skiba, Stakeholder Relations Manager of RMHCNA.

“I’m really excited to continue making this annual event. It keeps on getting bigger and better, this year we incorporated a corporate and school challenge. So we had started to see a lot of corporations come out with their own shirts, and having large groups participate which is really exciting,” said Skiba.

Nine businesses and four schools participated in the challenge with prizes going to the top three individual fundraisers.

The winner of the School Challenge is Cold Lake High School.

Corporate Challenge Winners are:

Small Business category: Choquet Insurance Group Ltd.

Medium Business category: SE Design and Consulting Inc….

Large Business category: Devon Energy

Highest Individual fundraisers are Melyssa Riedyk, Laurie Jones and Laura Phillips.

Prizes for the winners included travel vouchers, a Big Valley Jamboree prize package, and a Service marathon prize package. Most of the fundraising was done online on a platform called Make Fun Matter.

The fundraising record was set two years ago at just over $68,000, respectively.