The UWI Cave Hill and RBC Launch the 2024 Race for the Kids
07 February 2024
(from left) Dawn-Lisa Callender-Smith, Race Manager; Professor Clive Landis, The UWI Cave Hill Principal, and Shimon Mc Intosh, Managing Director of RBC Royal Bank (Barbados) Limited
A combined $586,700 have been raised through the RBC Race for the Kids, which returns to the Cave Hill campus route on April 14.
The funds are used for financial aid initiatives, including the campus’ Student Hardship and Emergency Fund, and First Year Experience (FYE) programme.
This year, organisers are hoping 3000 runners and walkers will register for the 5K event, double the number recorded last year.
Addressing yesterday’s media launch for the upcoming race, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Professor Clive Landis said he was keenly anticipating the event and expressed gratitude to RBC.
“While the university certainly tries its best to assist students financially in whatever way we can, our resources are finite, and we truly appreciate companies like RBC that partner with us to prioritize the financial well-being of students.”
The Barbados edition of the RBC Race for the Kids was first staged in 2017.
Managing Director of RBC Royal Bank (Barbados) Limited, Shimon Mc Intosh said some of the funds raised have also gone towards financing 69 scholarships at the campus in the areas of Accounting and Finance, Management Studies, Economics and others.
“We understand that economic hardship is real, and RBC is proud to be able to provide scholarship aid to deserving young people. In terms of better health, we’ve supported the UWI First Year Experience with over $170,000 contributed to the programme over the past few years. We know that the first year of university can be a daunting experience and a big adjustment for new students.”
One such student is Tianna Clue, who is enrolled in the Faculty of Law. Now in her second year of studies, the Jamaican said the FYE helped her acclimatize to university life, acquire new skills, and improve her overall growth and development.
Along with gaining confidence, Clue now serves as a student leader and president of the Photography Association of the Cave Hill Campus.
“I’ve developed long-lasting friendships and mentors…[These] have lasted outside of FYE and those persons still contribute to making my university journey a better one and that’s the main reason I applied to be a peer mentor in the FYE programme. As a peer mentor, I get to help support first-year students as they transition to university life and to help them develop on their journey through university.”
The local registration site for the RBC Race for the Kids goes live on February 19. The event is open to runners, walkers, skaters, and others regardless of age or ability.
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