Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation Launches Change for Kids Program

October 10, 2012 (Toronto, ON): Celebrating Halloween is so exciting thanks to Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation. Today, the Foundation kicked off the Change for Kids program –a unique fundraising initiative that encourages families to hand out something more than a treat this Halloween. This year, Change for Kids paper coins are the treat of choice. Through Change for Kids, Ontarians will raise funds for Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Canada's largest pediatric rehabilitation teaching hospital for kids with disabilities. It's about celebrating Halloween, while giving trick-or-treaters the chance to win amazing prizes and to help kids with disabilities. Halloween will never be the same!

Change for Kids is designed to be fun and easy. Families can purchase the Change for Kids coin card, which contains 20 coins, for $5. These coins are handed out to trick-or-treaters, who are reminded to enter the coin's PIN code at www.changeforkids.ca for their chance to win amazing prizes. For every PIN code entered online, Scotiabank will donate $5 to Holland Bloorview! Participants will be giving kids the gift of knowing that they too are helping to change the world for kids with disabilities.

"Holland Bloorview is incredibly excited about this new Halloween program. Halloween is a time for kids to be who they want to be. A time for them to challenge their imaginations and envision potential they may not have considered before. This is the same passion you see in Holland Bloorview's scientists, nurses and clinicians. The staff here are constantly challenging their imagination and are inspired by the unlimited potential of kids,"said Tracey Bailey, President and CEO Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation. "The support from our corporate sponsors like Scotiabank, Citytv and Great Wolf Lodge, and so many more, has been tremendous. We are grateful to everyone who has come together to make Change for Kids possible."

Launching today and running through to Halloween, the Change for Kids program will wrap up with the announcement of a final prize draw on November, 23, 2012. There are more than 500 prizes to be won, including a Grand Prize weekend stay at Great Wolf Lodge for the winner's family and 9 other families of their choice, plus 10 individual one-night stays at Great Wolf Lodge, $1,000 RESPs from Scotiabank, Toys"R"Us gift certificates and Cineplex movie tickets!

Change for Kids coin cards may be purchased for $5 at Scotiabank branches in the GTA. Cards may be collected from other distributors, such as selected Spirit Halloween, Costco, Toys''R''Us stores, newspapers or magazines and must be activated online for $5 at www.changeforkids.ca.

For more information on the Change for Kids program and the work of Holland Bloorview, please visit www.changeforkids.ca.

About Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation raises funds in the community for Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. Holland Bloorview is Canada's largest children's rehabilitation teaching hospital. The hospital pioneers treatments, technologies, therapies and real-world programs that give children with disabilities the tools to participate fully in life. For more information, please visit: www.hollandbloorviewfoundation.ca www.changeforkids.ca


Media Contacts:
Nickie Minshall | 647.448.1500 | nickie@penelopepr.com
Tiffany Astle | 416.554.7327 | tiffany@penelopepr.com