Ottawa, Ontario, Tuesday, September 19, 2017

I am so pleased to be here at the launch of the Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign.

What a beautiful day for a run!

And what a great day to begin our sprint towards helping our communities.

I look forward to joining you for this 5-km walk/run this morning—the first time this is being held for the campaign. We will all, as the theme for today says, “Move for What Matters.”

Our route will certainly be inspiring.

Against the backdrop of Parliament Hill—a physical symbol of dialogue and of our communities—we gather to celebrate what we can do when we work together.

This day also combines two of my greatest passions: fitness and giving!

It’s important to stay active, not just in mind and body, but also in society. Our country is much stronger when we all contribute.

Public servants understand this.

This is the sixth year that I’ve had the privilege of launching this campaign, and I’ve confirmed two important facts.

First: public servants are truly generous.

Every year, you open your hearts to worthy causes, turning passion into compassion and ensuring that people in need are cared for.

Every year, I am heartened by all those who donate not just money, but also their time and talents to organize magnificent events.

This event and this campaign are cases in point, and I thank everyone for their hard work in making it happen.

Similar runs are taking place in Halifax and Vancouver, which tells us that many public servants right across this country are motivated by the same desire to work for Canadians in every way possible.

The second fact? What we do here matters.

As governor general, I’ve had the privilege of travelling from coast to coast to coast. I’ve seen first-hand what giving can do for communities and for individuals.

Lives are transformed through caring, through actions and through hope.

In fact, what United Way and Centraide do, along with various HealthPartners, is offer hope.

Hope that things will get better.

Hope that hunger and homelessness will one day be but a distant memory.

Hope that diseases can be cured and that wounds, both physical and mental, can heal.

Hope that there is someone out there who cares enough to get involved, to stand up, to help.

Thank you again for your energy, your generosity, your kindness.

And now, let’s get out there and run, walk or roll, towards a smarter, more caring nation.

Thank you.