Employees of CIBC FirstCaribbean, their friends and families again this year walk/run in a bid to raise awareness of and support for the fight against all types of cancer.
The event is dubbed The 2013 CIBC FirstCaribbean Walk/Run for the Cure.
CIBC FirstCaribbean’s 17 businesses across the Caribbean will either host their own event, or will join one of the national cancer organizations, many of whom are hosting events between the end of September and the first week in October.
CIBC FirstCaribbean first organized the event last year, as part of its 10th anniversary activities. Its parent company in Canada, CIBC, is in its 17th year as the title sponsor for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure, after which this series of events is fashioned.
In 2012, 13,000 CIBC employees, their families and friends, took part in the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure as part of Team CIBC. Team CIBC contributed over $3 million through the collection of pledges, fundraising events and contributions from the CIBC Pink Collection™ to the national total of over $30 million raised.
Nearly 3,000 CIBC FirstCaribbean employees and their families joined together for the walk events and in the end, the company was able to donate just under US$30,000 to cancer organizations around the region, in support of the work they are doing with cancer patients in the Caribbean.
This year, there is even more emphasis on fund-raising, as CIBC FirstCaribbean offices organize activities among their staff and in some cases their customers, to raise as much as they can towards the cause.
In St. Vincent, staff have been involved in a number of fund-raising activities including pink cup cake sales, fruit snack sales, ribbon and pin sales and a pay and wear. Since Sept. 13, staff have been wearing different colours to depict different types of cancers. Last Friday, the colour blue depicted prostate and thyroid cancer and green, kidney cancer. This coming Friday, Sept. 27, the colour will be white for lung or bone cancer. On Oct. 4, pink for breast cancer and on Oct. 11, grey for brain cancer and teal for ovarian cancer.
The Walk/Run For the cure will be held here on Oct. 5 in collaboration with the local Cancer Society and the Leo Club.
Country Manager Elroy John, says he is excited about this year’s event and is looking forward to working with the other partners who are teaming up with CIBC FirstCaribbean in this important venture, to bring awareness to the Vincentian community about the various types of cancers and their effects on families and communities.
CEO, Rik Parkhill, noted, “We are extremely pleased to be involved in another worthy cause to build awareness of a disease that impacts all of us. We know from the stories you have shared that the spectre of cancer touches all of us in some form, whether it’s a family member, friend or colleague, or the reality that some of us are afflicted by and bravely battling this disease. CIBC FirstCaribbean supports all efforts to raise the public’s awareness of all types of cancer, including early detection, treatment and the urgent need for a permanent cure. All of our efforts as part of our walk activities will therefore promote wider efforts to raise awareness.”
The bank has established a number of accounts at its branches across the Caribbean, into which the public may deposit their donations.
The account number for St. Vincent and the Grenadines is 106987980.