This year, over 2,000 staff took part in over 150 locations supporting over 100 local charities, making Western Community Foundation's annual 5km walk the most successful event in its 20-year history.
Kitchener
White Rock, British Columbia
HIGH RIVER, Alberta, May 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — At Western Financial Group, kindness is at the heart of everything we do, and during this year's National Walk, approximately 90 per cent of team members across Canada wore Western Communities Foundation t-shirts and walked alongside colleagues, partners and community members to raise funds and awareness for local charities.
“Western has a history of taking care of our employees and the people who live and work in the communities we serve,” said Kenny Nichols, president and CEO of Western Financial Group. “We want to help solve problems when things go wrong and share in the joy when things go right. We share this philosophy with our team members, and they use it as the foundation for serving our clients. It's only natural that we would extend these values to the broader community.”
For each team member who participates in the 5km walk, Western Financial Group will donate $50 to support a charity important to the employee. To honor Western's people-first culture and understand that staff have different scheduling needs, this year's National Walk took place over a week (May 20-24) instead of a day, giving the Canadian insurance broker more flexibility and allowing more people to participate. Teams walked together from their local branches, those further away walked in their own neighbourhoods, and even staff on furlough took the time to walk 5km in a new environment. The ultimate goal was to make the walk as easy, accessible and flexible as possible to encourage participation.
“It's great to see our employees have that spirit of community service and passion for caring for their local community,” says Michelle Mack, director of the Western Community Foundation. “Western has been hosting this walking tour every year since 2005 and it has become a flagship event for the company. Our team members are excited to participate and are really passionate about the charities we support.”
Employees across the U.S. posted photos of their walking experiences to social media. From scenic trails to city streets, Western's teams showed off their spirit and dedication. To learn more, visit Western's Facebook and LinkedIn pages.
Western Financial Group
Headquartered in High River, Alberta, Western Financial Group is a diversified insurance services company focused on creating safety and peace of mind, providing adequate protection to more than one million Canadians for more than 100 years. Western is committed to community service, customer service, innovation, growth and people while providing personal and commercial insurance through a dedicated team of more than 2,000 people across more than 200 locations, affiliates and a variety of connection channels.
From the beginning, supporting our communities has guided everything we do and is part of who we are. In 2001, the Western Financial Group Communities Foundation (our nonprofit charitable organization) was established as a way for our team members to give back and positively impact the people and pride of where we live, work and play. To date, we have invested more than $9 million in our communities.
Western Financial Group is a subsidiary of Trimont Financial Ltd., a subsidiary of Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company. westernfinancialgroup.ca
Western Financial Group Community Foundation
Founded in 2001, the Western Financial Group Communities Foundation is dedicated to contributing to the communities where Western employees live, work and play, fostering employee pride and engagement. The Foundation's core giving programs include Community Infrastructure Grants, the Western Inspirational Awards for high school graduating seniors and a matching grant program. Since its inception, the Western Communities Foundation has donated more than $9 million to support local communities.
Attachments
CONTACT: Nichola Petts Western Financial Group 4162006782 nichola.petts@westernfg.ca
