Montreal, November 16, 2022 – Nearly 500 corporate employees spent their lunch hour climbing the stairs of one of Montreal’s tallest skyscrapers to raise money for Centraide as part of the 25th RBC Challenge, a relay race against the clock up the steps of Place Ville Marie. Each team’s goal was to climb the 1,013 steps to the top of the 41-story building in under 2 minutes, 38 seconds, the time to beat set in 2014. The event raised $300,000 to fight poverty and social exclusion. The racers also competed against Olympic medallist Chloé Dufour Lapointe, who participated in the challenge as a special guest.
“As they do every year, our employees came together to raise funds for families in need through Centraide – an organization we have been supporting for 25 years. Committed to making a difference to alleviate social exclusion and poverty in Quebec, RBC teams biked, ran and walked thousands of kilometers over the past few weeks in support of Centraide. Their engagement and involvement culminate today with a climb up the stairs of the Place Ville Marie tower, said Nadine Renaud-Tinker, President, RBC Royal Bank in Quebec. As we mark the 25th RBC Challenge, we are proud of our ongoing efforts to support our communities in need across the province.”
Together, we can help vulnerable people reach new heights
“We are very privileged to have had RBC’s support for so many years,” said Claude Pinard, President and Executive Director, Centraide of Greater Montreal. “Together, we can help vulnerable people reach new heights. This relay race to the top of Place Ville Marie is a poignant metaphor for the importance of lightening the burden of poverty and social exclusion. The higher we go, the more weight we can lift off the shoulders of people in vulnerable situations.”
The RBC Challenge is organized in collaboration with Place Ville Marie. All funds raised through donations and sponsorships will be donated to the Centraides of Quebec.
About Centraide of Greater Montreal
A true agent of change, Centraide of Greater Montreal takes action in the territories of Laval, Montreal and the South Shore. It regularly supports a network of 350 agencies and collective projects every year. Centraide is supported by businesses and organizations as well as the general public. It invests the money it raises through a needs analysis done in each of the territory’s neighbourhoods and communities. It implements strategies and actions to break the cycle of poverty and social exclusion to improve the living conditions of vulnerable people. Over 800,000 people are helped each year by the agencies supported by Centraide of Greater Montreal. For more information: centraide-mtl.org.
About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 92,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada’s biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our 17 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.
We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/community-social-impact.