Runners at the 2016 Scotiabank Calgary Marathon Will Take the National Scotiabank Charity Challenge Closer to the $50 Million Mark

CALGARY, AB--(Marketwired - May 24, 2016) - Over 12,000 runners will hit the roads of Calgary for the 52^nd annual Scotiabank Calgary Marathon on May 29. Many runners will be raising funds for one of the 85 charities associated with the 2016 Scotiabank Charity Challenge in Calgary, including the three local Featured Charities:

• Accessible Housing

• BC & Alberta Guide Dogs

• Cerebral Palsy Kids and Families

A last minute Charity Challenge entry is the Canadian Red Cross - Alberta Fires Appeal.

"At Scotiabank, we applaud the Calgary Marathon for joining Canadians across the country in supporting the Canadian Red Cross and doing all we can to help with the relief efforts underway in Fort McMurray," said Laurie Stang, Senior Vice President, Prairie Region at Scotiabank. "Fundraising participants in this Scotiabank Calgary Marathon share our commitment to giving back to communities and we want to thank everyone for their fundraising efforts this year."

Scotiabank proudly hosts a Scotiabank Charity Challenge at each of the Bank's six sponsored marathon events across Canada including Montreal, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto.

"Since 2003, our runners nationally have raised over $46 million for community charities and in 2016, together, we are racing to surpass the $50 million fundraising milestone," said Mr. Stang.

The Scotiabank Charity Challenge is a turnkey fundraising program that provides a simple way for race participants to support local causes that make a significant impact on Canadian communities. Participating charities keep 100% of the proceeds raised, as Scotiabank pays for all transaction and credit card fees.

"There is no stronger fundraising model in the race industry than the Scotiabank Charity Challenge," said Kirsten-Ellen Fleming, Executive Director, Scotiabank Calgary Marathon. "It's a win for everyone; there is little to no barrier for a charity to join, participants can choose a charity that is meaningful to them and collectively, with the support of Scotiabank, we give back in significant ways to the community where we work, live and run."

For a complete list of 2016 charities participating in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, please visit the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon website.

Part of the Scotiabank Charity Challenge is a friendly competition between the charities for $24,750 in cash prizes consisting of $4,250 for 1^st place, $2,500 for 2^nd, and $1,500 for 3^rd in the following categories:

• The Official Charity that has the most fundraising runners.

• The Official Charity that raises the most fundraising dollars.

• The Official Charity that raises the largest amount of pledge dollars per fundraising runner.

How to get involved:

• Register for an event: Register for the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon on the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon website.

• Fundraise: Once registered, sign up for the Scotiabank Charity Challenge and raise funds for a participating official charity.

• Share! Share your story behind why you support your charity, using #runScotia.

• Donate: Visit the Scotiabank Charity Challenge to select an official charity and make a one-time donation.

• Cheer: Support friends and family along the race route and as they cross the finish line. You can also show your support to runners online by using the hashtags #RunCalgary and #runScotia.

About Scotiabank
Through our global community investment strategy, Scotiabank and its employees support causes at a grassroots level. Recognized as a leader for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2015, Scotiabank contributed $67 million to help our communities around the world.

Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and Asia-Pacific. We are dedicated to helping our 23 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 89,000 employees and assets of $920 billion (as at January 31, 2016), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (BNS.TO) and New York Exchanges (BNS.TO). Scotiabank distributes the Bank's media releases using Marketwired. For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

About the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon
A race for every age and ability, Alberta's Best Road Race 4 years in a row includes the 50K Ultra, Scotiabank 42.2K, Centaur Subaru 21.1K, the Jugo Juice 10K, the Goodlife Fitness 5K Family Walk & Run and the Scotiabank Kids Marathon. The largest race on the prairies has the largest high performance purse west of Toronto and attracts elite athletes from coast to coast as well as internationally. The event brings in $7 million annually to the local economy and gives back through the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, scholarship programming and the Neighbourhood Spirit Challenge.