September 8, 2008/- 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 Kingston, all proceeds will go to the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation, selected as the beneficiary of this year’s campaign by the neighborhood Shoppers Drug Mart Pharmacist-Owner along with the Store Team.

“Shoppers store owners and their customers from the Kingston area have long supported our local hospitals with their donations and volunteer efforts.  We are delighted that they’ve chosen to support our Together We Can building campaign for the redevelopment of Kingston’s university hospitals through this year’s Tree of Life campaign,” says Denise Cumming, Executive Director, University Hospitals Kingston Foundation.
 
To participate in this year’s Tree of Life harvest for the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation, visit any Shoppers Drug Mart store in Kingston, and ask the cashier for details or make a donation on-line at www.shoppersdrugmart.ca