Thanks to the incredible support of Shoppers Drug Mart Associate-owners, employees and customers across Canada, Shoppers Drug Mart's 10th annual Tree of Life fundraising campaign raised over $2.17 million, an increase of 8.5 per cent over last year. The Tree of Life campaign supports Canadian women's health organizations who offer invaluable services and programming supporting women's whole health across Canada.
The campaign, which ran for four weeks from September 17th to October 14th, 2011, saw participation from more than 1,250 Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix stores and benefited 426 women's health organizations nationwide. Shoppers Drug Mart's Tree of Life campaign is national in scope, yet locally based, with 100 per cent of the proceeds donated to women's health organizations in individual communities and neighborhoods that offer women resources to improve and maintain health in mind, body and spirit.
"Shoppers Drug Mart would like to extend our most sincere thanks to the millions of participants nationwide who helped raise over $2.17 million for women's health organizations across Canada," says Lisa Gibbs, Manager, Community Investment, Shoppers Drug Mart. "Each year, the Canadian communities touch us with their support and generosity and the response this year was no exception. Through the support and commitment demonstrated by our incredible customers, Associate-owners and their store teams, we are able to provide essential funding to local women's health organizations who strive to meet the health needs of Canadian women."
To commemorate Tree of Life's 10th anniversary, Shoppers Drug Mart launched an interactive virtual tree where customers and employees were encouraged to make donations. In support, Shoppers Drug Mart awarded four prizes of $10,000 to a women's health organization in the province raising the most funds per capita each week. The fourth and final prize went to The Guardian Angels Committee of CancerCare Manitoba Foundation.
"We are thrilled that in just three short years, Shoppers Drug Mart has raised almost $100,000 for CancerCare Manitoba's research, patient care and support benefiting all Manitoba women and their families living with cancer," says Annitta Stenning, Executive Director of the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation. "We are so very grateful to the Associate-owners who designated the Guardian Angels as their beneficiary and promoted awareness to all their customers, who made a difference by purchasing leaves."
Baie Verte Peninsula Health Centre Women's Diabetes Awareness Program of Newfoundland, Karen's Fund for Yukon Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer and Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation of Alberta were the recipients of the other three prizes.
The Tree of Life campaign is one of the leading partnership programs of the Shoppers Drug Mart WOMEN platform and is held each autumn. Since 2002, the Tree of Life campaign has raised over $17 million for Canadian health charities. With the participation of more than 1250 Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix stores, 426 Canadian women's health charities will benefit from 100 per cent of this year's proceeds.