BC Liquor Stores customers and staff are making a difference in the Horn of Africa by donating $323,902 to help support Red Cross relief efforts in Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Uganda.
Donations are matched by the Government of Canada, doubling the contribution.
BC Liquor Stores collected the donations between Friday, Aug. 5 and Thursday, Sept. 15 at their 197 locations. The funds raised have been added to the Canadian Red Cross Horn of Africa Relief Fund.
"We have seen the images of the desperate situation in the Horn of
Africa and it's encouraging to see British Columbians demonstrate a spirit of generosity," said Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Shirley Bond. "The donations made by customers and staff at our provincial liquor stores are making a real difference in the lives of families caught in a life-threatening situation."
The Canadian Red Cross provides men, women and children with necessary emergency relief, medical treatment and assistance to recover their livelihoods. Donations to the Canadian Red Cross have already helped them deploy their basic health-care unit to treat people who have been affected by cholera in Chad. This unit is part of the First Responder Initiative, a partnership with the Government of Canada.
The Liquor Distribution Branch has a long-term partnership with the Canadian Red Cross. Since 2010, BC Liquor Store customers and employees have raised over $1.2 million for humanitarian crises in Haiti, Pakistan, Japan and now in the Horn of Africa.
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