National partners are donating funds and school supplies to support BGC Clubs

Published on Cision August 25, 2022

TORONTO, Aug. 25, 2022 /CNW/ – When kids and teens go back to school in September, BGC Clubs across the country will be there to support them, thanks in part to generous funding from The Coca-Cola Foundation, Giant Tiger stores, OSL Retail Services and Kleenex®.

The pandemic has been difficult for many Canadians, especially young people, and even more so for those from vulnerable and equity-deserving populations. In addition to providing much-needed school supplies, BGC Clubs also offer a wide range of supports that so many young people will need during the school year, from PPE to homework help, postsecondary planning to mental health check-ins, peer support groups to healthy meals before and after school, and so much more.

As the 200,000 kids and teens BGC Clubs support at 736 locations across Canada head back to school this September, four of our corporate partners have shown their dedication to young people and families through significant donations for the second year in a row:

• The Coca-Cola Foundation is donating $500,000 to support academic programs, after-school homework help and youth leadership at Clubs
• Giant Tiger Stores Limited is donating $150,000 to support the Giant Steps program, a national after-school homework program for students in grades 7-8, to help prepare them for the rigors of high school and equip them with strong academic habits and skills.
• OSL Retail Services is donating $50,000 to support #BGCBack2School and after-school programming at BGC Clubs. OSL is also hosting a school supply drive to directly support children and youth at school, as well as Club programming. Some Clubs have already received over 10,000 items, including backpacks, stationery, and calculators!
• Kleenex® is supporting children’s education by generously donating $50,000 to help BGC Clubs continue providing valuable programs, resources, and school supplies.

The generosity of our supporters will allow BGC Clubs to continue providing safe places, in-person and virtually tailored to community need, and healthy, empowering relationships that help young people develop the confidence and resiliency they need to thrive when they return to school and for years to come. If you would like to help, please consider donating to our #BGCBack2School campaign.

For 120+ years, BGC Canada has been creating opportunities for millions of Canadian kids and teens. As Canada’s largest child and youth serving charitable and community services organization, our Clubs open their doors to young people of all ages and their families at 736 locations nationwide. During out-of-school hours in small and large cities, and rural and Indigenous communities, our trained staff and volunteers provide programs and services that help young people realize positive outcomes in self-expression, academics, healthy living, physical activity, job readiness, mental health, social development, leadership, and more. Opportunity changes everything. Learn more at bgccan.com and follow us on social media @BGCCAN.

Media Contact
Mary O’Connell
Director, Marketing & Communications, BGC Canada
moconnell@bgccan.com
905-477-7272 x2223

Published August 19 on CNW / Cision

Many national partners will donate and run cause campaigns to help BGC Clubs

Toronto, ON, August 19, 2021 – Whether online or in-person, when kids and teens go back to school in September, BGC Clubs across the country will be there to support them, thanks to generous funding from several caring companies.

The pandemic has been difficult for many Canadians, especially young people, and even more so for those from vulnerable and equity-deserving populations. While school supplies are always essential, our Clubs will also offer a wide range of supports that so many young people will need during the school year, from PPE to homework help, postsecondary planning to mental health check-ins, peer support groups to healthy meals before and after school, and so much more.

As the 200,000 kids and teens BGC Clubs support at 736 locations across Canada head back to school this September, many of our corporate partners have shown their dedication to young people and families through significant donations and national cause campaigns:

• Kleenex® is supporting children’s learning by donating $100,000 to BGC Clubs’ educational programs, resources, and school supplies. Kleenex is celebrating this exciting partnership with exclusive BGC back-to-school graphics on their 6-packs and 16-packs that are available in stores across Canada
• TELUS Friendly Future Foundation & TELUS: TELUS will be matching all customer donations made in-store in August and September up to $25,000 (total across all locations), a portion of sales from select sponsored products will be donated to local Clubs up to $95,000, and the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation has committed $100,000 to revitalize our youth mental health program Flex Your Head
• The Coca-Cola Foundation is generously donating $1 million over two years to support our Keystone youth leadership program and academic support initiatives at BGC Clubs
• Michaels Canada: For the month of August, customers can purchase select school supplies at any Michaels store and they will be donated to local BGC Clubs
• Old Navy: From August 6 to August 12, Old Navy customers who donate $5 or more to BGC Canada will receive $5 in instant savings on store purchases of $35 or more. The funds support job readiness program This Way ONward
• M&M Food Market: From August 26 to September 15, M&M customers will be encouraged to donate in-store and online to support after-school programming at BGC Clubs
• Lube: For the month of August, customers can support BGC Canada by donating to the Kids Drive Program at local Mr. Lube stores
• OSL Retail Services is donating $70,000 to support #BGCBack2School and after-school programming at BGC Clubs

The generosity of our supporters will allow BGC Clubs to continue providing safe places, in-person and virtual programs tailored to community need, and healthy, empowering relationships that help young people develop the confidence and resiliency they need to thrive when they return to school and for years to come.

If you would like to help, please consider donating to our #BGCBack2School campaign.

About BGC Canada
For 120+ years, BGC Canada has been creating opportunities for millions of Canadian kids and teens. As Canada’s largest child and youth serving charitable and community services organization, our Clubs open their doors to young people of all ages and their families at 736 locations nationwide. During out-of-school hours in small and large cities, and rural and Indigenous communities, our trained staff and volunteers provide programs and services that help young people realize positive outcomes in self-expression, academics, healthy living, physical activity, job readiness, mental health, social development, leadership, and more. Opportunity changes everything. Learn more at bgccan.com and follow us on social media @BGCCAN.

Media contact:
Jared Morrow
Media Relations Manager
jmorrow@bgccan.com
905-477-7272 x2202

Grants to support local, environmental and community projects, including COVID-19 relief efforts, in honor of 135th birthday of Coca-Cola

(Originally published on Coca-Cola’s website May 6, 2021)

The Coca-Cola Foundation today announced $35 million in new grants, including a $20 million fund to support nonprofit partners working to stop the spread of Covid-19 through vaccine distribution, personal protective equipment and public awareness efforts. The remaining $15 million will support local environmental and community organizations in the United States and Canada.

The grants honor the 135th birthday of Coca-Cola, which is May 8.

Stopping the Spread

The Coca-Cola Foundation will identify community initiatives that meet the requirements of the Foundation’s new Stop the Spread fund.

“We know the Covid-19 crisis is far from over,” said Bea Perez, president and chair, The Coca-Cola Foundation. “Last year, during the initial outbreak phase, we channeled over $56 million of relief funds to organizations positioned to mobilize quickly and provide aid and supplies to healthcare workers and populations. Now, as Covid-19 continues to impact communities around the world, this new fund will allow the Foundation to focus on supporting charities working to stop the spread of the virus.”

More than $6.6 million in grants have been awarded from the $20 million fund to stop the spread of Covid-19, including:

• $2 million for Project Last Mile to support vaccine rollouts in eight African countries: Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Ghana, Eswatini, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania.
• $3.6 million for United Way of Mumbai to fund vaccine distribution initiatives and public awareness campaigns in 22 districts in India.
• $500,000 for COVAX, a program co-led by the World Health Organization to ensure equitable, global access to Covid-19 vaccines. The contribution was made in support of Global Citizen’s VAX LIVE: Concert to Reunite the World (airing and streaming on May 8), which calls for new commitments from governments, the private sector and philanthropists to equitably distribute Covid-19 vaccines, tests and treatments to the world’s poorest countries.

Local, Environmental and Community Support

In the company’s hometown of Atlanta, as well as other communities across the United States and Canada, the Foundation awarded several grants totaling $15 million to local, environmental and community initiatives:

• Atlanta BeltLine Partnership to support green infrastructure planned for Westside Park and Enota Park.
• Trust for Public Land to support its showcase site on the Chattahoochee as part of the initial phase of the Chattahoochee RiverLands, a 100-mile trail from Buford Dam to Chattahoochee Bend State Park.
• Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center Inc. to support the annual corporate campaign. The Woodruff Arts Center serves more than 850,000 patrons annually, including hundreds of thousands of students from throughout the state of Georgia.
• National Park Foundation to support waste reduction, recycling, resilience and sustainability projects.
• Ducks Unlimited Canada to support efforts to protect and restore critical watersheds across Canada.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Canada and Puerto Rico to support academic success with a focus on afterschool homework programs.
• United Services Organization (USO) to support initiatives to connect service members and their families.
• United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta to support the Child Well-Being Impact Fund.