CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine (February 23, 2012) – TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, announced today that the Center for Grieving Children, a Portland, Maine-based nonprofit organization providing support to bereaved children and families, has been selected as this year’s beneficiary of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

In the 25 years since its founding, the Center for Grieving Children has served more than 66,000 children, teens, and families through peer support, outreach and education. The Center’s mission is to provide loving support that encourages the safe expression of grief and loss and fosters each individual’s resilience and emotional well-being. Services are provided for free, for as long as people need them, by staff and trained volunteers.

TD Bank , through the TD Charitable Foundation, will provide a cash donation of $30,000 to the Center for Grieving Children. The organization also will benefit from fundraising activities and publicity through its association with one of Maine’s premiere sporting events.

“The Center for Grieving Children is making such a difference in so many lives,” said Larry Wold, TD Bank Market President for Maine. “For 25 years, they have been helping children, young adults and families adjust to grief and loss with a number of invaluable and very effective programs. We’re honored to name them as this year’s beneficiary.”

This year marks the special 15th anniversary of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K, sponsored by TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, set for Saturday, Aug. 4 in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The TD Beach to Beacon 10K was founded in 1998 by Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson, a Maine native and running icon. The TD Charitable Foundation has donated a total of $450,000 to Maine charities over the 15-year history of the race.

“We’re proud to be the beneficiary of this wonderful Maine-grown race. Being chosen this year honors the Center’s 25 years of service as well the dedication of our volunteers and the contributions of our community,” said Anne Lynch, executive director of the Center for Grieving Children. “The race donation will help us keep our services free for children and families when illness and death bring them some of the most difficult emotional challenges imaginable and also can bring considerable financial impacts. Offering our support for free is especially important now, when calls to the Center have nearly doubled recently, in part because cuts to other services are reducing families’ options for information and support.”

The Center for Grieving Children was founded in 1987 by the late Bill Hemmens of Portland following the death of his sister. In trying to find help and support for his niece Erin, he recognized that children need peers and caring adults to support them through their grief because death profoundly affects every aspect of their lives. Today, the Center serves 4,000 people annually.

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The Center for Grieving Children offers a wide range of programs and support to those experiencing grief:

• Bereavement support groups for children and families as well as young adults, led by trained volunteer facilitators who meet weekly at the Center.
• Tender Living Care (TLC) Program helping children, teens and adults cope with the changes and losses that come along with serious illness.
• Multicultural Program serving children who have relocated to Portland from war torn countries.
• Bereaved Parent’s Group for parents who lost a child, regardless of the child’s age.
• A Young Widow and Widowers Group for those aged 60 and younger who have experienced the death of a spouse or partner.
• Crisis response services when a school or community is impacted by the sudden death or serious illness. The Center offers on-site consultation and education to teachers and administrators as well as peer support groups for students, teachers and parents.
• Phone support and information from Center staff to answers questions and provide information about supporting children through grief and loss, and for those coping with the serious illness of a loved one.

For more information about the Center’s programs and volunteer opportunities, call (207) 775-5216 or visit www.cgcmaine.org .

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The TD Beach to Beacon 10K is one of Maine’s premiere sporting events and one of the most popular events on the U.S. road race circuit. The race draws runners from throughout the region and around the world to the picturesque coastal community of Cape Elizabeth. In 2011, runners from 12 countries and 43 U.S. states participated. Thousands of spectators cheer on the runners along the scenic course and at the finish, and more than 800 volunteers help ensure a smooth operation.

The race begins near the Crescent Beach entrance on Route 77 in Cape Elizabeth, winds past breathtaking ocean vistas, and ends in Fort Williams Park at the historic Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in the world.

Registration for the popular race takes place in mid-March. Runners will continue to register at the race website, b2bdevelopment.wpengine.com . Race organizers are again targeting a race day field of 6,000. A record 5,876 runners finished the 2011 race. The race has more than doubled in size since it debuted 15 years ago in 1998 when 2,408 runners crossing the finish line.

More than $60,000 in prize money is awarded to the top finishers and place winners in the various categories for men and women.

TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, is the title sponsor of the race founded by Samuelson, the 1984 Olympic gold medalist from Cape Elizabeth and Maine’s most recognized athlete. The race is directed by Dave McGillivray of DMSE Sports , who also directs the B.A.A. Boston Marathon and is regarded as one of the top road race managers in the world.

For additional information about the race, visit b2bdevelopment.wpengine.com, and find the TD Beach to Beacon on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.