Tree of Life campaign kicks off for women’s health

Oct 1, 2012 | News

By Meagan Malloch

Tree of Life campaign promotes women’s health and helps support hundreds of organizations across the country. PHOTO COURTESY PUBLIC DOMAIN

In cities across Canada, thousands of organizations are doing important, life-saving work for women’s health, and will benefit again from the Tree of Life campaign.

Running currently to Oct. 26, 2012, the national four-week campaign run annually by Shoppers Drug Mart helps raise money to support women’s health organizations across the country.

“We are working to bring women’s health to attention,” Lisa Gibbs, manager of community investment with Shoppers Drug Mart, told Humber News. “We want to make women’s health (a focus) of her attention.”

Running for the past 11 years, the Tree of Life campaign has raised over $17 million to date and is one of the leading partnership programs of the Shoppers Drug Mart WOMEN platform.

“We support organizations like women’s cancer, maternal health, and mental health. All of our beneficiaries can be found online as well,” said Gibbs.

Customers can go to their local Shoppers Drug Mart and purchase different icons, varying in price, and make a donation to the women’s health organization that Shoppers location supports.

According to a news release Friday, each associate owner selects a women’s health organization to benefit from the funds raised from their store’s Tree of Life program.

“Customers can purchase a leaf icon for a dollar, a butterfly for five dollars, an acorn for 10 dollars, and a cardinal for 50 dollars,” Gibbs explained.

Supporting 450 different women’s health organizations, program beneficiaries range from local support agencies to hospitals and foundations.

The London Abused Women’s Center is one of the beneficiaries the campaign supports. Megan Walker, executive director, told Humber News it is an advocacy, counseling and support centre.

“We are one of the very few organizations that can see every single women who comes in per week,” said Walker. “It is our first year being involved in the campaign so it will help us with keeping our mandate.”