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TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 28, 2016) - This Saturday, July 2^nd, a record number of participants will lace up for the largest fundraising event held during Toronto Pride Month, the 21^st annual Pride and Remembrance Run, presented by BMO Financial Group.

The run, a long-standing tradition held during the Toronto Pride festival to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community, is the largest of its kind in Canada and one of the most popular running events in the Greater Toronto Area. This year, participants will raise money to benefit four Toronto Organizations: The 519, AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT), Rainbow Railroad and the Pride and Remembrance Foundation.

"BMO is committed to creating a workplace that values and encourages diversity and inclusion to better serve our customers, who are from all walks of life," said Paul Noble, Vice-President, Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary, BMO Capital Markets. "We are honoured to be the title sponsor of the Pride and Remembrance Run again this year and to participate through our employee fundraising team, Team BMO. This event is important to the LGBTQ+ community and we look forward to being a part of it."

"For more than 20 years, the Pride and Remembrance Run and the LGBTQ+ community have rallied together with spirit and sportsmanship to show our pride and give back," said Chuck Coolen, President of the Pride and Remembrance Association. "Now more than ever, it is important we continue to foster the community spirit that unites us."

The five-kilometre run/three-kilometre walk kicks off at the start line with warm-ups led by James Braithwaite, founder of Braithwaite Physiotherapy/Yorkville Physiotherapy, and a stretching and yoga session led by Michael DeCorte and his Jock Yoga team.

About the Pride and Remembrance Run

In 1996, three gay athletes founded the Pride and Remembrance Run, an annual five-kilometre run / three-kilometre walk coinciding with Toronto's Pride Week. It was dedicated to partnering the themes of PRIDE and REMEMBRANCE with community celebration and personal achievement.

The Pride and Remembrance Run has become an annual tradition promoting and fostering community spirit, goodwill, volunteerism and sportsmanship in the LGBTQ+ community. For more information, visit priderun.org.

About BMO and Diversity

From the development of the first Registered Disability Savings Plan to sponsorship of the Pride and Remembrance Run, BMO is committed to promoting accessibility, inclusivity and equality. This commitment extends to initiatives outside the workplace into all communities where BMO operates.