Assisting Canadians when they need it most: Canadian Red Cross and Walmart Canada launch annual campaign to support emergency relief

OTTAWA, July 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Canadian Red Cross announced today the launch of the 18^th annual giving campaign through Walmart Canada for disaster relief and preparedness. For the month of July, Walmart customers will be invited to donate to Red Cross at the checkout in stores and on Walmart.ca. Walmart Canada will be matching donations up to a maximum of $820,000. The support from Walmart, their associates, and customers, is more important than ever, as the Red Cross continues to respond with vital community support to address the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside seasonal emergencies such as wildfires and floods.   

Walmart Canada is the largest corporate partner of the Canadian Red Cross. Walmart Canada supports the commitment of the Red Cross in building resilient communities from coast to coast to coast. Earlier this year, Walmart Canada donated $250,000 to support the expansion of the Red Cross Friendly Calls program into Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The Friendly Calls program addresses loneliness and isolation through phone calls and helps connect people to their local community.

In December 2020, Walmart Canada also supported the Red Cross Toronto Mobile Food Bank with $90,000 to purchase two new cargo vans to replace an aging fleet of vehicles. This will help Red Cross personnel deliver packaged food hampers to clients who are unable to access traditional food banks.

“We are grateful for the ongoing support from Walmart Canada to help the Red Cross address emerging needs caused by disasters and emergencies across the country,” said Jean-Philippe Tizi, Chief Emergency Officer, Canadian Red Cross. “This annual campaign provides an opportunity for Canadians to support Red Cross efforts to help assist people during times when its most needed, and we thank everyone who contributes.”

“Once again, our associates and customers will join together to support the Red Cross to provide frontline support during disasters and emergency events,” said Nabeela Ixtabalan, Executive Vice President, People and Corporate Affairs, Walmart Canada. “We are very proud to be a long-time partner of the Canadian Red Cross and support the pivotal role they play in helping Canadians when they need urgent help. We look forward to another successful campaign.”

Over the past 18 years of the annual campaign, Walmart Canada, along with its associates and customers have helped raise over $54 million for the Red Cross.

About the Canadian Red Cross

Here in Canada and overseas, the Red Cross stands ready to help people before, during and after a disaster. As a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – which is made up of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and 192 national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies – the Canadian Red Cross is dedicated to helping people and communities in Canada and around the world in times of need, and supporting them in strengthening their resilience.

About Walmart Canada

Walmart Canada operates a chain of more than 400 stores nationwide serving 1.5 million customers each day. Walmart Canada’s flagship online store, Walmart.ca is visited by more than 900,000 customers daily. With more than 100,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada’s largest employers and is ranked one of the country’s top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada was recently recognized as a LinkedIn Top Company of 2021 and was also named one of Canada’s most popular brands (based on Google searches). Walmart Canada’s extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart Canada has raised and donated more than $500 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca and on Walmart Canada’s social media pages – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Media Contacts         

English Media Line: 1-877-599-9602
French Media Line: 1-888-418-9111
Felicia Fefer, Corporate Affairs, Walmart Canada, [email protected]