Sunday, January 24, 2010

Canadian Businesses Open Their Wallets for Haiti



MONTREAL - Canadian businesses have stepped up and are donating money for earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.

Among them:



Gildan Activewear, which has 44 employees in Haiti, of which 38 are accounted for as of Friday, is donating $50,000 to the Red Cross.

Air Canada is sending a special relief flight to Port-au-Prince, which will have aid workers and supplies, including 100 search and rescue technicians from the Montreal police department, Montreal fire service and Surete du Quebec.

The Hudson's Bay Company is donating $200,000 to the Canadian Red Cross, and is encouraging its customers to donate their HBC Rewards points toward earthquake relief.

Desjardins Group has pledged $300,000.

Aeroplan has donated 1 million Aeroplan miles to the Canadian Red Cross, and another million to medical-relief group Médecins Sans Frontières, and will allow members to donate their accumulated miles to either organization. It also will match all employee contributions to the Red Cross through Jan. 31.

BMO Financial Group will give $250,000 to the Red Cross, and waive regular fees on fund transfers to agencies or individiuals in Haiti through Feb. 12.

Bank of Nova Scotia, which has four branches and 80 employees in Haiti, pledged $250,000.

Rogers Communications and the Rogers family are also giving $250,000 and will facilitate donations from its Rogers Wireless and Fido customers via text message.

Quebecor Media is setting up a press centre in Haiti for Reporters Without Borders and other foreign journalists and its telecom unit, Videotron, will offer home-phone customers free calls to Haiti for one month.

National Bank announced a corporate donation of $150,000 and will match all employee or client donations at its branches to a further $100,000.

TD Bank Financial Group, RBC and the CIBC group of companies have committed $100,000 apiece. Some financial institutions also are allowing clients to convert points from credit-card reward programs into cash donations. In addition, most banks, along with the Desjardins network, will collect private donations for the relief effort at individual branches and by telephone.

Wal-Mart Canada is donating $100,000 and accepting donations at all 314 stores nationwide.

Transportation company TransForce Inc. donated $50,000

Air Transat is donating $25,000.

Insurance company AXA is donating $20,000.

The City of Longueuil is donating $60,000, or $0.25 per citizen, to the Canadian Red Cross. It is also accepting donations - in cash or by cheque made out to the Red Cross - at 14 municipal buildings.

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

Source: Montreal Gazette

No comments:

Post a Comment