GUELPH, ON, July 13 /CNW/ - The Co-operators today announced $253,050 in donations to Canadian charities selected by Co-operators staff members, directors and delegates. The contributions are part of the organization's Directed Donations program, in which staff members each direct $75 of corporate funds and directors and delegates steer $125 to the charitable organization of their choice.

"For 22 years the Directed Donations program has helped employees have a direct say in which organizations they'd like The Co-operators to support," said Kathy Bardswick, president and CEO of The Co-operators. "In many cases, the organizations are ones that our staff members are involved with personally, either as clients, volunteers or financial supporters. That's a big part of what makes the program so popular."

The organizations receiving donations are spread throughout Canada in communities where The Co-operators has offices. Some of this year's biggest staff-directed donations went to:

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    -   The Toronto Hospital for Sick Children ($23,475)
    -   The Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation, Calgary ($8,925)
    -   The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada, Saskatchewan Chapter
        ($8,700)
    -   Hope's Home, Regina ($8,475)
    -   The Canadian Cancer Society, Guelph ($6,900)
    -   Friends of Moncton Hospital ($5,400)
    >>

"A wish can be a welcome distraction for someone suffering with a life-threatening illness," said Carla Loney-Tindall, Saskatchewan Chapter Director for The Children's Wish Foundation, on being chosen as a recipient organization. "We rely on the kindness and generosity of the people in our community to fulfill the wishes of critically ill children, and we thank everyone at The Co-operators for enabling us to make another child's wish become a reality."

The funding is provided through The Co-operators Foundation, which supports social economy enterprises and other commendable causes throughout Canada. In total, 3,164 staff members directed $237,300 to 84 employee-nominated organizations, while 126 directors and delegates steered $15,750 to 80 organizations of their choice. In many cases, Co-operators staff members will be presenting the donations to organizations with which they are personally involved.

About The Co-operators:

Based in Guelph, Ontario, The Co-operators is a group of Canadian companies offering home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial and farm insurance, as well as investment products. The Co-operators Group Limited is a 100 per cent Canadian-owned co-operative with more than $36.9 billion in assets under administration. It is owned by a group of Canadian co-operatives, credit union centrals and like-minded organizations. The Co-operators is well known for its community involvement, and is listed among the 50 Best Employers in Canada.