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Overwaitea supports B.C. Children’s Hospital

The Burns Lake store hopes to raise $12,000 in one year
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Burns Lake's Overwaitea Foods staff. Manager Ameet Singh (M) had to dye his hair red and green last week after the store reached its goal of raising $4000 in one month.

Burns Lake’s Overwaitea Foods manager Ameet Singh had to dye his hair red and green last week after the store reached its goal of raising $4000 in one month.

This was just one of the several fundraisers that the store runs throughout the year to support the B.C. Children’s Hospital.

Last October, Singh had to wear an “ugly turkey hat” for an entire week after the store raised well over its $1000 goal in just three weeks. Fundraisers also include the “spin a wheel” for points and prizes and the Thanksgiving raffle.

Since July 1, 2016, Burns Lake’s Overwaitea has raised approximately $6300, over half of its $12,000 goal until July 2017. Last year’s goal of raising $10,000 - from July 2014 to June 2016 - was easily reached.

Burns Lake’s Overwaitea operates under the umbrella of the Overwaitea Food Group. Save-on-Foods, which operates under the same umbrella, has recently announced the company will donate $15 million to establish Canada’s first storefront immunization clinic at the B.C. Children’s Hospital.

The goal is to improve immunization rates for all children, including those with complex medical conditions. Close to one-third of B.C. kids at two years of age are not up to date with their immunizations.

“The Save-On-Foods family has already donated over $30 million in funding innovative programs that profoundly affect the health and well-being of B.C. children,” said Teri Nicholas, president and CEO of the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation. ”This commitment brings their all-time giving to $45 million.”

The new immunization clinic will be situated in the hospital’s busy ambulatory care building and open not only to patients, but all family members.

Last year, 86,000 children and youth were treated at B.C. Children’s Hospital. Counting their siblings and parents, the clinic has potential to provide thousands of immunizations annually when it opens to the public in the fall of 2017.

In addition to welcoming the general population of children and families to ensure their immunizations are up to date, the clinic will provide specialized services to young patients with complex medical conditions requiring individualized treatment.

“The Save-On-Foods team is passionate about our communities and it’s by supporting the tremendous efforts of the fine folks at B.C. Children’s Hospital that we’re able to help change lives across this province,” said Save-On-Foods president Darrell Jones.