Inaugural “Game of Life” Run/Walk in the Capital on Canada Day Raises Over $25,000 for Commonwealth Games Canada’s “Bowling Out AIDS” Program

Inaugural “Game of Life” Run/Walk in the Capital on Canada Day Raises Over $25,000 for Commonwealth Games Canada’s “Bowling Out AIDS” Program

OTTAWA, ON(July 1, 2012) - Over 750 runners, ranging in age from under 2 years to over 75 years, got their Canada Day in the Nation’s Capital off on the right foot by participating in the inaugural “Game of Life” 5km fun run and 1km kid’s race along the beautiful Ottawa River Parkway.  The event was a huge success raising $25,000 for Commonwealth Games Canada’s (CGC) international development through sport programs.

“We were thrilled to see so many participants out for this first edition of the “Game of Life” event in Ottawa after successful run/walk events in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Halifax in the last two years,” says Brian McPherson, CGC’s Chief Executive Officer, “Having the event on Canada Day, in our country’s capital city, adds even more meaning to the event as we bring community and sport together to raise funds for youth in the Caribbean and Africa who are challenged to experience the same benefits of activity and camaraderie that we are here in Canada.”

Commonwealth Games Canada will be directing the proceeds from all of the “Game of Life” Run/Walk events across the country this year to the “Bowling Out AIDS” program, a cricket-based development-through-sport program in the Caribbean for 9-19 year old youth, designed to both increase cricket skills and reduce the incidence and transmission of HIV infections through awareness and education. 

For Michael Peirce and his three kids - Ben (14 years), Emily and Claire (both 12 years) - the “Game of Life” 5km run was a great chance to come together as a family, to have some fun and to support a great cause.

“Before we head up to Parliament Hill later today, it was great to get a bit of a sweat on, share a few laughs and support the great work that CGC does to help young people, many of them the same age as my three kids, get involved in sport in developing countries.”

5km Race - Top Finishers

Commonwealth Games Canada will be working with the National Capital Commission (NCC) and the event sponsors - the Running Room, Mizuno Canada, the Mill St. Brew Pub, PCL Construction and Xerox Canada - over the next few months to confirm the next edition of the “Game of Life” for Canada Day 2013.

Official race results can be found at SportStats.ca and a selection of event photos can be found on the CGC’s Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cgc_jcc.

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