AIR MILES gives Canadians a new way to pay it forward

Collectors and children's causes benefit through month-long initiative

TORONTO, Aug. 6, 2015 /CNW/ - Just in time for back-to-school, the AIR MILES^® Reward Program is teaming up with its Partners – some of Canada's most trusted and beloved brands – to launch a new initiative that celebrates and gives back to children's causes.  

Beginning on August 6, 2015, AIR MILES will launch the Better Bonus Event, which will give Canadians the opportunity to support children's causes across Canada, just by doing their everyday shopping. For every Bonus Mile a Collector gets using their Better Bonus Event coupons, AIR MILES will match that Mile, up to 10 million Miles and donate to children's causes nationwide.

As part of the initiative, Collectors can not only get a substantial number of Bonus Miles, which they can use for merchandise, experiences and more but will also have the opportunity to win one of four prizes that includes 50,000 Miles plus an additional 50,000 Miles that goes towards the charity of the Collector's choice. The Event is scheduled to run throughout the back-to-school shopping season, until September 6, 2015.

"AIR MILES is dedicated to giving back to our communities, and we are proud to help our Collectors be the catalyst for this kind of positive change," said Rachel MacQueen, Vice President, Marketing, AIR MILES Reward Program. "Together with our Partners, this new program will give Collectors a simple, but powerful way to give back to the children's causes doing great work in their own communities."

"We are excited to be included in the Air Miles Better Bonus Event.  It gives Canadians a unique opportunity to support the young people we mentor, simply by shopping at Air Miles partner locations." said Karen Shaver, Interim President & CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada.

Select AIR MILES Partners have chosen causes that support children. This Event gives Canadians the opportunity to show their support for children's causes by shopping at the following participating Partners:

• Collectors who shop at Staples, Old Navy, Pharmasave, The Children's Place, AIR MILES Shops, Hilton, Marlin Travel, Transat Travel, Club Voyage, Voyages Transat, Rogers, Timbermart, Primus, United Van Lines, Budget, Kent, Good Year, Fountain Tire, Co-Op Atlantic, Nettoyeur Daoust, Craftsman, Irving, IRIS, Manitoba Liquor Mart, and online at Hearing Life Canada, Listen Up Canada and Independent Pool will be supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada
• Collectors who shop at Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland and IGA (Ontario and Western Canada), will be supporting the Sobeys Inc. Better Food Fund and their partners such as Free The Children and the Home Cook Heroes program
• Collectors who shop at Rexall will be supporting the Rexall Foundation
• Collectors who shop at Metro will be supporting the Green Apple School Program
• Collectors who shop at Lawtons Drugs will be supporting The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada
• Collectors who visit Shell will be supporting United Way Centraide

Canadians believe in charitable giving, with a generous majority (90%) of the Canadian population planning to donate to charities this year¹. AIR MILES is dedicated to helping support this spirit by offering rich Bonus Offers.

To learn more about this program visit: www.airmiles.ca/BetterBonus or join the conversation by following the hashtag: #AIRMILES4Change.

About the AIR MILES Reward Program
Launched in 1992, the AIR MILES Reward Program is one of the best ways to get rewards in Canada.  With more than 10 million active Collector accounts, approximately two-thirds of all Canadian households can turn everyday purchases like gas and groceries into movie tickets, kitchen gadgets, electronics, dream vacations and so much more.  Unlike other frequent shopper programs, Collectors can get Miles from hundreds of leading brand-name Partners, representing thousands of retail and service locations across Canada and leading global brands online.  The AIR MILES Reward Program lets Collectors reward themselves their way – they can build their AIR MILES Cash balance to use toward in-store purchases or eVouchers online at participating Reward Partners, build their Dream balance to get vacations, electronics and more, or a combination of both.  Whatever rewards Collectors like most, they can get them quickly and easily with the AIR MILES Reward Program.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters
For more than one hundred years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been making a positive difference in the lives of our nation's youth by developing and implementing a wide range of mentoring programs. Serving as role models, mentors teach by example the importance of giving and giving back, of staying in school, and of having respect for family peers and community. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada provides quality mentoring services for more than 42,000 children and teenagers. Big Brothers Big Sisters currently has over 37,000 volunteer mentors working at 117 agencies that serve children in over 1,100 municipalities across the country. Learn how you can start something at www.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca.

SOURCE AIR MILES Reward Program

or to schedule an interview contact: Joanna Leong, North Strategic, 416-723-1183, [email protected]