Canadian Communities
Raising the Roof
As a Raising the Roof partner for the past six years, Global Television has devoted airtime and matching dollars, as well as the energies and talents of its on-air personalities, to raise funds and awareness for the homeless. By airing our signature Toque Tuesday public service announcement in which leading Canadian celebrities don Raising the Roof toques, Global has been pivotal to the phenomenal growth of this national fundraising campaign.
For more information visit www.raisingtheroof.org
Newspapers In Education
Every year, Canwest makes a strong commitment to independent literacy programs through the Newspapers In Education (NIE) program. Our group of metropolitan daily newspapers partner with local schools to put newspapers in classrooms. Teachers use the newspapers as an educational tool to reinforce learning in all subjects, from language arts to social studies to the environment and media literacy.
Charitable & Not-for-Profit support
The United Way
Canwest is a major supporter of the United Way. Global and E! Everything Entertainment television stations, Canwest newspapers and other company divisions make annual corporate donations to their local United Way and encourage staff to participate in employee campaigns.
In 2006, Canwest and its operating units contributed $1.32 million to the United Way. Only 40 companies in Canada surpass the one million dollar mark. Canwest is proud to be part of this exclusive group of Canadian corporate donors, despite the fact the company isn't among the top 100 in terms of revenue or top 75 in number of employees.
Local contributions
All Canwest properties support local community initiatives, charitable events and not-for-profit organizations through donations of airtime and advertising space, as well as financial contributions. Some highlights:
• Global BC's 40th annual Variety Show of Hearts Telethon raised $7.24 million for children all over B.C. The funds help children receive medical attention and care. Global BC also donated airtime and promotion to Variety.
• CHCH Hamilton donated thousands of dollars worth of airtime for Public Service Announcements by local organizations.
• Global Winnipeg continued their 25-year partnership with the Variety Club of Manitoba, providing $75,000 in airtime for a year-round awareness campaign to help increase Variety's community profile.
• Global Ontario donated airtime to the Daily Bread Food Bank.
• Global Maritimes donated more than $36,000 in airtime to Canstruction, an initiative of Feed Nova Scotia. The promotion helped propel the campaign to collect over 19,000 kg of food, helping 43,000 hungry Nova Scotians.
• The Vancouver Sun sponsors the Sun Run, benefiting Canwest Raise-a-Reader and programs for amateur athletes. The event is the third largest 10K run in the world and the largest in Canada. In 2006, a record 54,000 participants from all over the world joined the Sun Run, the highest in its 23 year history.
• The Victoria Times Colonist 10K raises funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
• The Saskatoon StarPhoenix sponsors the local Habitat for Humanity chapter and is a major sponsor of the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival.
Health and welfare
Many of Canwest newspapers and television stations have committed direct funding and in-kind resources to support healthcare institutions and programs across the country. Some highlights:
• The Regina Leader-Post supports the Arthritis Society, Alzheimer Society, Canadian Diabetes Association, Kidney Foundation and many more organizations.
• The National Post supports the St. Michael's Hospital Foundation, Sick Kids Foundation, Covenant House, and the MS Society, among others.
• The Lower Mainland Publishing Group, which includes 12 Vancouver-area newspapers, supports such worthy causes as Cops for Cancer, Bike to Work Week and the Christmas Hamper Society.
• The Vancouver Sun and The Province newspapers support the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, B.C. Cancer Foundation, Scleroderma Association of B.C. and many other organizations.
• The Edmonton Journal supports the Alberta Cancer Foundation, St. John Ambulance and the Salvation Army, among others.
• Canwest television stations, including Global, E! Everything Entertainment, and our specialty networks, support worthy causes such as the Ronald McDonald House and broadcast charity telethons for the Variety Club and The Children's Miracle Network.
Corporate Matching Gift Program
Canwest encourages its employees to make charitable donations through the Matching Gift Program. The company matches individual employee cash donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $200 annually for registered charities.