REGINA, Jan. 19, 2015 /CNW/ - The Co-operators has donated $50,000 to the Canadian Blood Services to help establish four umbilical cord blood collection agencies at hospitals in Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver.

Every day approximately 1,000 Canadians are desperately in need of a stem cell transplant as it is their best hope for recovery.  There are not enough donors and the registry of donors does not reflect the ethnic diversity of Canadian patients. Therefore, Canada relies on international sources for cord blood transplants which is time consuming and costly.

"As a co-operative insurance company, we will continue to help strengthen our communities through community involvement, participation and investment", said Kevin Daniel, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Co-operators Life Insurance Company. "These four umbilical cord blood collection agencies will play a critical role in the long-term well-being of Canadians by providing the opportunity for more research, treatment of diseases and in the end save more lives".

Cord blood stem cell transplants are used for treating over 50 diseases and disorders, such as leukemia, lymphoma, aplastic anemia, inherited immune system and metabolic disorders. In addition, stem cell research and treatment has the potential to change the treatment of many diseases such as: Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, joint repair, diabetes and asthma.

About Co-operators Life Insurance Company
Co-operators Life Insurance Company, with its head office in Regina, is a wholly-ownedsubsidiary of The Co-operators Group Limited. Through its operating subsidiaries, TheCo-operators offers home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial and farm insurance, aswell as investment products. The Co-operators Group Limited is a Canadian-owned cooperative with more than $37 billion in assets under administration. The Co-operators is well known for its community involvement and its commitment to sustainability. The Co-operators is listed among the 50 Best Employers in Canada by Aon Hewitt; Corporate Knights' Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada; and the Top 50 Socially Responsible Corporations in Canada by Sustainalytics and Maclean's magazine. For more information visit www.cooperators.ca.

SOURCE The Co-operators