Shoppers Drug Mart® will launch its seventh annual Tree of Life fundraising campaign in support of community health charities at participating Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada this Saturday, September 13th .

“The Tree of Life campaign is the cornerstone of our community investment program, supporting well over 300 health related charities each year,” said Lisa Gibbs, Manager, Community Investment, Shoppers Drug Mart. “Through this program, our customers, employees and Pharmacist-Owners across the country partner with local charities to give back to the communities where they live, work and serve.”

The campaign, which runs for four weeks, encourages customers to purchase and personalize their own paper “leaf” for a loonie, “maple leaf” for $5 or an “apple” for $50. Each “leaf” sold will represent a donation to the store’s local health charity of choice and will then become part of the store’s Tree of Life display.

Since 2002, Shoppers Drug Mart has raised $9 million for over 300 Canadian healthcare related charities through the Tree of Life campaign held each autumn. In the past, funds have been divided between locally selected charities and national health organizations. This year, 100% of the money raised during the fundraising drive will remain locally. That means in Ottawa, all proceeds will go to The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, selected as the beneficiary of this year’s campaign by the 42 participating neighbourhood Shoppers Drug Mart Pharmacist-Owners along with their Store Teams in Eastern Ontario.

“We are thrilled that Shoppers Drug Mart has once again elected to support The Ottawa Hospital and the expansion project for our Cancer Centre through the Tree of Life campaign,” said Susan Doyle, Ottawa Hospital Foundation President and CEO. “Being part of this initiative demonstrates to us just how important community is to not only Shoppers Drug Mart, but to their employees and customers.”

To participate in this year’s Tree of Life harvest for The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, visit any Shoppers Drug Mart store in Ottawa, and ask the cashier for details or make a donation on-line at www.shoppersdrugmart.ca

About Shoppers Drug Mart
Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation is one of the most recognized and trusted names in Canadian retailing. The Company is the licensor of full-service retail drug stores operating under the name Shoppers Drug Mart (Pharmaprix in Québec). With more than 1,090 Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix stores operating in prime locations in each province and two territories, the Company is one of the most convenient retailers in Canada. The Company also licenses or owns more than 15 medical clinic pharmacies operating under the name Shoppers Simply Pharmacy (Pharmaprix Simplement Santé in Québec). As well, the Company owns and operates 65 Shoppers Home Health Care stores, making it the largest Canadian retailer of home health care products and services. In addition to its retail store network, the Company owns Shoppers Drug Mart Specialty Health Network Inc., a provider of specialty drug distribution, pharmacy and comprehensive patient support services, and MediSystem Technologies Inc., a provider of pharmaceutical products and services to long-term care facilities in Ontario and Alberta.

About The Ottawa Hospital
The Ottawa Hospital is a multi-campus, academic health sciences centre, serving 1.5 million residents of Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, both in English and French. It provides care for more patients than any other hospital in Canada, and boasts specialty centres in cancer, heart, kidney and vision care, as well as rehabilitation services. For more information, visit The Ottawa Hospital Web site at www.ottawahospital.on.ca.

The Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s mission is to inspire and enable people to support the highest quality health care at The Ottawa Hospital and lifesaving research at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. For more information, visit The Ottawa Hospital Foundation Web site at www.ohfoundation.ca.

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