Acklands-Grainger donates $300,000 to the Canadian Red Cross to implement
corporate volunteer training program

If disaster strikes, Winnipeg volunteers will be Ready When the Time Comes

WINNIPEG, Oct. 25 /CNW/ - The Canadian Red Cross and Acklands-Grainger, Canada's largest distributor of industrial, safety and fastener supplies, have teamed up to help the Canadian Red Cross create a national volunteer force ready to respond in the event of a large scale disaster.   With a contribution of $300,000, Acklands-Grainger becomes the national founding sponsor of the Ready When the Time Comes program.  Ready When the Time Comes is a workplace volunteer program in which the Red Cross trains and prepares employees of Canadian businesses who then can be mobilized as a community-based volunteer force when a large-scale disaster strikes, such as floods, fires, tornadoes and major storms.

To launch the program in Winnipeg, 25 Acklands-Grainger team members participated in a Canadian Red Cross training session on Saturday, receiving specialized training in crucial areas of disaster response such as shelter operations, large-scale feeding efforts and damage assessment.  In the event of a local disaster, the Red Cross can count on Ready When the Time Comes corporate partners to mobilize trained volunteers quickly and ultimately increase the capacity to respond and lessen the impact catastrophic events have on our local communities. Long term, the program builds capacity needed to prepare for and respond to disasters and sustain a network of business and private sector support to keep our communities safe and secure. 

"We are extremely grateful for Acklands-Grainger's generous contribution to implement this innovative program.  We also applaud its team members for helping the Canadian Red Cross build a network of volunteers," said Conrad Sauvé, Secretary General and CEO of the Canadian Red Cross. "Ready When the Time Comes will help the Canadian Red Cross accomplish its mandate of preparing and responding to disasters. It enables us to reach out to corporations and tap into one of their most valuable resources, their employees."

"What an honour it is to implement this program in Winnipeg where our founder, Dudley Ackland, opened his first location back in 1889," said Paul Markus, Acklands-Grainger's District Sales Manager in Manitoba. "This is our community. Our team members live, work and raise their families here.  We care about our neighbours and we're committed to doing our part to help them if and when the need arises. The Ready When the Time Comes program is an innovative way for our team to help the province when it's needed most." 

Ready When the Time Comes was pioneered by the American Red Cross, Greater Chicago Chapter in 2001 and through a partnership with Grainger, the national founding sponsor of the program in the U.S.  Today, more than 11,000 employees representing 450 businesses and organizations in 41 communities across the U.S. have been trained as disaster volunteers through the program.

"Acklands-Grainger is an integral part of 165 local communities across the country and we feel we have a responsibility to contribute to disaster relief, not only with money and products but with hard working, dedicated people," said Sean O'Brien, President, Acklands-Grainger. "Disasters affect all of us; businesses aren't immune.  The business community must use its resources to become an active participant in creating the solution and I encourage other local businesses to commit their support to this important initiative."

About the Canadian Red Cross

The Canadian Red Cross is a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which includes the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and over 185 national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Our mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity in Canada and around the world.

About Acklands-Grainger Inc.

Founded in 1889, Acklands-Grainger is Canada's largest distributor of industrial, safety, and fastener products, with over 100,000 in-stock products available from 165 branches and five distribution centres coast to coast. For more information about Acklands-Grainger, please visit www.acklandsgrainger.com.

Its parent company, W.W. Grainger, Inc., with 2009 sales of $6.2 billion, is North America's leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating products with an expanding presence in Asia and Latin America. For more information about the company, please visit www.grainger.com/investor.

For further information:

Sara Granack
Director, International Communications
W.W. Grainger Inc.
[phone]
[email protected]

Canadian Red Cross media line
[phone]