NASSAU, Bahamas –From the moment word got out about the Royal Bank’s RBC Race for the Kids event, Special Olympics Bahamas knew that it was something they had to participate in.
RBC’s Race for the Kids is a compelling series of global charitable runs supporting children’s causes that started in 2008 with an inaugural event in New York City. The inaugural Bahamas race – scheduled for January 19th, 2020 – will be the 15th global race and 3rd within the Caribbean. All proceeds from this race will go towards the advancement of the learning environment at the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI), the rebuilding of its Grand Bahama and Abaco campuses following the devastation of hurricane Dorian and the launch of the Success Tracking and Resource (STAR) early alert program identifying at-risk first-year students at BTVI.
Special Olympics Bahamas competed at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, finishing up the competition with a total of 14 medals across 5 sporting disciplines: 6 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze.
Special Olympics Bahamas’ National Director, Gilbert Williams, said that while the organization feels their Special Olympics World Summer Games achievements were sufficient to convince most Bahamians that they are capable of holding their own within the Special Olympics arena, Race for the Kids now gives them an opportunity to further prove themselves on home soil. It also gives them an opportunity to give back.
“As an organization that depends heavily on the generosity of others and one that so often finds itself on the receiving end of that generosity, Race for the Kids just seems like the perfect opportunity for our athletes to demonstrate their gifts and talents, while contributing to a worthy cause, and helping to bring awareness to that cause. The timing is right, the cause is a great one and the opportunity is knocking,” said Mr. Williams.
Welcome and warm-up for the race — which begins on West Bay Street, near Haynes Oval – is scheduled for 8 am with the race start time at 9 am. The race will continue pass Saunders Beach with the halfway mark at Bougainvillea Avenue, then heading east along the race route (West Bay Street) to the finish line/race village at Esplanade Way.
The race route will be branded and volunteers will be along the route as guides.
Mr. Williams also went on to explain how important it is for Special Olympics Bahamas to support BTVI as a learning institution which offers opportunities for higher learning to persons with intellectual disabilities. He stated that many individuals and organizations talk about inclusion, but relatively few actually practice it, so supporting an organization that does is a very easy decision for Special Olympics Bahamas.
Meanwhile, BTVI’s Associate Vice President of Fund Development, Alicia Thompson, expressed BTVI’s gratitude towards Special Olympics Bahamas for their promise to participate in the race.
“We are indeed pleased that Special Olympics Bahamas has jumped onboard to support the Race for the Kids. Their willingness to participate underscores the importance of inclusion in our society and we trust that it will be a catalyst for many other groups to register. This family fun race promises to be an event to remember so we invite all and sundry to join us as we Race for the Kids,” said Ms. Thompson.
Registration online for this charity race at www.rbcraceforthekidsbahamas.com.
