The Pembroke Regional Hospital Foundation says its annual “Heroes Run for Healthcare” fundraiser is set to return Sunday, May 3, with organizers aiming to draw strong community support for Pembroke Regional Hospital.
Presented by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, the event will take place in downtown Pembroke and is open to runners, walkers and volunteers of all ages.
Leigh Costello is the Community Fundraising Specialist for the Pembroke Regional Hospital Foundation, and she says this year marks the fifth season for the event, which previously went by another name:
The event is broken down into different categories to accommodate both kids and adults, including a two-kilometre “Super Hero”-themed run for children 12 and under, with a $10 registration fee. Every child will receive a hero cape at the end of the run, and there will be candy to collect along the route. Following that is the five-kilometre timed run, which begins at 10 a.m. and costs $35 to register.
Proceeds from the event will go toward supporting patient care and equipment needs at Pembroke Regional Hospital, with one specific piece of much-needed equipment in mind:
Roger Martin, Executive Director of the PRHF, says the current scanner is more than 15 years old and handles nearly 15,000 scans annually. The new machine will cost more than $2.5 million, so organizers are counting on strong participation for this highly anticipated annual run. The goal for this year, according to Costello, is $50,000 — a figure they were able to meet and exceed last year.
Nearly 500 participants are expected to take part in the event, which begins in the downtown core and continues along the Ottawa River, and the PRHF is always looking for more runners to join.
Along with CNL as the main sponsor, the two-kilometre run is sponsored by Bradley Law, and the five-kilometre run is sponsored by MacEwen Petroleum. Participants can register online at heroesrun.ca.
