SAINT-HUBERT, QC, March 9, 2017 /CNW/ - Today, Karine Bélanger received The Co-operators Community Achievement Award for her outstanding community involvement. The award was created to honour Co-operators financial advisors who demonstrate outstanding support for the community in which they work, both through financial aid and volunteerism.

Karine Bélanger, a Co-operators financial advisor in Saint-Hubert, was named the Community Achievement Award winner for the Quebec region. In 2016, Bélanger and her team participated in two local LEUCAN Shaved Head Challenge events. The purpose of the events, which are held across Quebec throughout the year, is to gather donations for cancer-stricken children and their families. And, for the third year in a row, Bélanger and her team held a blood drive in collaboration with Hema Quebec and participated in the Teal Pumpkin Project by preparing bags of allergy-free candies for children to raise awareness of food allergies and promote inclusion of all trick-or-treaters during Halloween.

"I am very proud to have won the Community Achievement Award for 2016. My team and I were particularly touched and moved during our volunteer days for Leucan Montérégie Shaved Head challenges for children with cancer and their families," said Bélanger.

As a co-operative, The Co-operators adheres to the seven international co-operative principles, one of which is "concern for community." The organization's 500 financial advisors are instrumental in converting this principle into action in communities across Canada. Bélanger's genuine concern for the well-being of her community, as evidenced by her record of involvement and support for local causes, embodies this principle.

About The Co-operators

The Co-operators Group Limited is a Canadian co-operative with more than $44 billion in assets under administration. Through its group of companies it offers home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial and farm insurance, as well as investment products. The Co-operators is well known for its community involvement and its commitment to sustainability. It is included on Corporate Knights' Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada list, among the Top 50 Socially Responsible Corporations in Canada by Sustainalytics and Maclean's magazine, and the Best Employers in Canada by Aon Hewitt. For more information visit www.cooperators.ca.

SOURCE The Co-operators