BURLINGTON, ON, Oct. 5, 2011 /CNW/ - On Tuesday, October 4, The CUMIS Group Limited marked its 20^th Annual Apple Day, an event where local community groups are invited onto its orchard to pick apples for their various charitable endeavors.

Thousands of apples have been donated throughout the years; this year more than 200 volunteers from CUMIS, The Co-operators and local charitable organizations participated to gather the apples destined for school nutrition programs, local food banks and charity fundraisers.

"We are very fortunate to be able to maintain this long-standing CUMIS tradition; 20 years and still going strong, thanks to the dedication of our staff volunteers," said Kevin Daniel, President and COO. "I am proud to be part of an organization that is so committed to supporting charitable initiatives."

CUMIS' head office is situated on 140 acres of property, including a 15-acre apple orchard that was planted in 1946. Each year, dozens of trees are re-planted and every winter the trees are pruned. Licensed contractors spray the trees with environmentally-safe products.

About The CUMIS Group Limited

The CUMIS Group Limited (CUMIS) partners with credit unions to deliver competitive insurance and financial solutions. In doing so, it creates financial security and promotes the growth and success of the credit union system in Canada. CUMIS' principal companies are CUMIS Life Insurance Company and CUMIS General Insurance Company, and it has a 50 per cent interest in Credential Financial Inc. CUMIS is jointly owned by Co-operators Life Insurance Company and Central 1 Credit Union.