Western Canadian grocer officially the hospital’s largest cumulative giving corporate partner
Vancouver, B.C: Western Canadian grocery company Save-On-Foods celebrated the completion of its $15 million pledge to BC Children’s Hospital on Tuesday, September 24, and has officially become the hospital’s largest cumulative giving corporate partner.
Save-On-Foods president Darrell Jones and BC Children’s Hospital Foundation president and CEO Malcolm Berry made the joint announcement on Tuesday, September 24 in Vancouver.
In 2016, Save-On-Foods made its pledge to raise $15 million for BC Children’s Hospital within 10 years. The funds from this pledge were committed to the hospital’s urgent equipment needs and to building Canada’s first in-hospital pediatric walk-in immunization clinic, which opened its doors in 2017.
This $15 million gift was generated in partnership with Save-On-Foods’ community of customers, business and supplier partners, and passionate team members through company-wide retail initiatives such as Round Up for Kids, where customers can round up their bills to the nearest dollar and donate the difference to their local children’s hospital, and local events spearheaded by the teams at Save-On-Foods’ nearly 190 stores from B.C. to Winnipeg, Man.
“Achieving our pledge to raise $15 million for BC Children’s Hospital two years ahead of schedule is a major accomplishment, and one I am so thrilled to be part of,” said Save-On-Foods president Darrell Jones. “This milestone was made possible by millions of people – our incredible team members, generous customers, and amazing supplier and business partners – and together, we’ve helped enable the experts at BC Children’s Hospital to provide their life-changing care and research. Thank you to each and every person who helped Save-On-Foods achieve our pledge.”
Close to 400 assistant store managers from Save-On-Foods stores across Western Canada were gathered in Vancouver for a business meeting when the announcement was made. To celebrate, these team members set a new Guinness World Record for assembling the most care packages for a hospital in one hour. Each care package contains nine items that will provide hygiene, comfort and entertainment to young patients at BCCH.
Save-On-Foods is officially the new record holder after putting together 4,007 care packages – far exceeding the previous record of 2,522. The care packages will be delivered to BCCH in November.
“The visionary support of Save-On-Foods has empowered BC Children’s Hospital to bring some of its boldest ambitions to life. They have supported novel initiatives such as the Save-On-Foods Family Immunization Clinic, brought specialized care closer to home for kids throughout the province with Child Health BC, and equipped BC Children’s with transformative technologies that are saving lives,” said Malcolm Berry, BC Children’s Hospital Foundation president and CEO. “The Save-On-Foods team, customers, and partners have played an essential role in ensuring children across our province receive the best care possible. The completion of this remarkable $15 million pledge fills us with gratitude and excitement for the future we will continue to build together.”
Save-On-Foods’ support of BC Children’s Hospital dates back more than 30 years, and as the chain expanded eastward, it began supporting the other children’s hospitals of Western Canada. Most recently, the company raised $704,878 for all five at the Save-On-Foods Charity Golf Tournament – the highest one-day total in the golf tournament’s 27-year history. Although this 10-year pledge was met two years early, it doesn’t mark the end of giving to BC Children’s Hospital. Details of Save-On-Foods’ next pledge will be announced later in the fall.
