Western Financial Group Asks 1,500 Employees to Support the Cause

/THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO ANY UNITED STATES NEWS SERVICE OR OTHERWISE IN THE UNITED STATES./

HIGH RIVER, AB, June 12, 2012 /CNW/ - On June 13, Western Financial Group's (Western) 1,500 employees will take to the road in more than 100 locations to raise money for the Western Communities Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports the communities where Western employees live and work.

The Foundation's annual Support the Cause Day—a 3 to 5 km walk starting from Western Financial Group offices across western Canada—raises money that goes toward community infrastructure grants, student bursaries and other worthwhile endeavours that support public health, recreation and education. Western donates $50 per participating employee which is topped up by pledges employees personally gather from friends, family and clients. All the money goes to the Western Communities Foundation.

"Support the Cause Day allows us to make meaningful investments in the communities we serve," said Tom Dutton, Executive Director of the Western Communities Foundation. "It's meaningful to Western employees who get to see improvements to the arenas and community centres in their neighbourhoods or a student in their area getting a bursary to go to school. There's a lot of pride around here in what we're doing."

Last year, Western Financial Group employees collected approximately $26,000 in personal pledges. After Western's contribution, their efforts raised approximately $76,000 for the Foundation, well exceeding the goal of $50,000.

"Among other things, last year's Support the Cause Day proceeds helped fund our Community Defibrillator Program which is working to put at least one Automated External Defibrillator in a major public facility in each community that Western Financial Group serves," said Dutton. "We've already installed them in 47 communities and we're working on the rest. That's an impact our staff have made that will literally save lives."

Western Communities Foundation was founded by Western Financial Group in 2001 as a non-profit organization under the Income Tax Act of Canada (Registration #87030 2619 RR0001).

Western Financial Group is a western Canada based, diversified, financial services company serving more than 600,000 customers. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in High River, Alberta, Western provides insurance, banking and investment products and services through more than 120 office locations, the Internet (www.westernfinancialgroup.ca) and other distribution channels. With a skilled team of approximately 1,500 employees, and backed by the strong resources of its owners, Western is committed to building the strongest financial services company in western Canada.

Western Financial Group is a subsidiary of Desjardins Group, the leading cooperative financial group in Canada.

Image with caption: "Western Financial Group's 1,500 employees will walk to Support the Cause in more than 100 communities across Western Canada on June 13, 2012 (CNW Group/Dooley Communications) (CNW Group/Western Financial Group)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120612_C8087_PHOTO_EN_15055.jpg

James Savage
Executive Vice President
Corporate Communications and Brand Marketing
Western Financial Group
[phone] - mobile
[email protected]