British Columbians celebrate 20 years of wearing jeans to support BC
Children's Hospital

VANCOUVER, April 1 /CNW/ - For 20 years British Columbians have been wearing jeans to work and school to support BC Children's Hospital. On Thursday, April 29, 2010 thousands of people across the province will proudly wear their Jeans Day(TM) lapel pin or button to show their support for BC's children and to celebrate the event's 20th anniversary. Participation is as easy as buying a $20 lapel pin or a $5 button and then wearing jeans at participating workplaces and schools on April 29.

"Jeans Day(TM) is the single largest fundraising event of its kind in the province," said Sue Carruthers, president and CEO of BC Children's Hospital Foundation. "We're fortunate to have over 1,800 corporations and 350 schools participate every year."

Since 1991 the event has raised more than $10.5 million for BC Children's Hospital. This year's goal is to raise $1.35 million.

Jeans Day(TM) lapel pins and buttons are available at participating retailers, including Save-On-Foods, Overwaitea Foods, PriceSmart Foods, Cooper's Foods, Urban Fare, London Drugs, Thrifty Foods and Costco.

Funds raised through Jeans Day(TM) help meet urgent needs at BC Children's Hospital, including clinical care, research into prevention, treatments and cures for childhood diseases, community child-health programs, and equipment purchases. BC Children's Hospital is the province's only full-service acute care hospital and it serves approximately one million children living in BC and the Yukon. All children who are seriously ill or injured are referred to Children's Hospital and are treated at the hospital facility in Vancouver or, with consultation from Children's specialists, in their home community. Last year, more than 78,000 children were treated at Children's Hospital. For more information visit www.jeansday.ca.

Jeans Day(TM) is supported by schools program sponsor Odlum Brown Limited and lapel pin sponsor Pacific Blue Cross.

For further information: or to set up an interview with a Jeans Day(TM) committee member, please contact: Wendy W. Kwok, BC Children's Hospital Foundation, Phone: [phone] ext. 6085, Email: [email protected]