Staff from the Robb Street branch of Scotia Bank on April 15, presented $1.5M to two organisations involved in cancer awareness and prevention programmes.
A release from the bank said that the two organisations that received cheques were the Periwinkle Club, which has benefited for the last seven years, and the Avon Community Help Fund, which is benefiting for the second year.
For the last 12 years, the staff has held an annual cake sale to raise funds in aid of cancer awareness and to provide medical assistance to cancer patients. Staff members were also able to leverage matching funds from the bank’s Bright Future programme for global philanthropy, which supports the communities in which employees live and work.
The release said that the Periwinkle Club is a charitable organisation established seven years ago, which helps to finance the care of cancer patients and provide relief for survivors. In 2012, it provided care for some 60 individuals.
The Avon Community Help Fund has been providing services supporting breast cancer awareness for the past seven years and is geared towards assisting medically-underserved and uninsured women in Guyana.
During the month of October, it provided free screening services, including mammograms, for high-risk women.
The release said that the Robb Street staff was supported by Scotia employees from all the branches, who contributed to the sale by donating cakes, or giving time or cash donations for the initiative. The sale was also supported by private organisations, customers, and the public.
To raise awareness on breast cancer and cancer in general, during the month of October, the staff wore pink T-shirts on Fridays and also used the opportunity to promote the cake sale to customers.
Under the volunteering component of the bank’s Bright Future programme, employees gave a total of 1452 volunteer hours in raising awareness of cancer, and planning and holding the cake sale, the release added.
