RBC Blue Water Project commits $1 million to help rebuild
Haiti infrastructure
TORONTO, January 22, 2010— RBC today announced
that the RBC Blue Water Project will commit $1 million to
support the efforts of ONE DROP and Oxfam to provide access
to water and sanitation to the people of Haiti and rebuild
small water and sanitation infrastructure in the country.
"The outpouring of support by citizens, governments
and companies worldwide to help immediate relief efforts in
Haiti has been overwhelming," said Gordon M. Nixon, president
and CEO, RBC. "But we know that the people of Haiti will
need our support for years to come, as the need for emergency
relief subsides, and the priorities for longer-term solutions
become more clear in the months and years ahead. In anticipation
of the massive work ahead, the RBC Blue Water Project will
support the efforts of ONE DROP and its partner Oxfam-Québec
in Haiti to fund programs to mitigate the tremendous water
and sanitation challenges faced by the country."
As part of an ambitious project developed by Oxfam-Québec,
ONE DROP's Project Haiti will be carried out over a three-year
period. Its objective will be to provide sustainable access
to water and sanitation, restore small hydraulic and sanitation
infrastructures and, through the arts, raise the awareness
of thousands of Haitians on the importance of managing water
soundly. These are all essential conditions for building a
better tomorrow for future generations. ONE DROP and Oxfam-Québec
are currently working out the details of the project.
RBC is a founding corporate partner of ONE DROP, with a pledge
of $10 million over 10 years to help fund on-the-ground water
projects and awareness programs as needed around the world.
Funding for this Haitian project will come from that commitment.
RBC has also funded a ONE DROP watershed protection and conservation
project in Honduras totalling $1.5 million.
RBC also announced that on Friday, January 22, 2010, more
than 250 RBC employees in Winnipeg, Mississauga, Montreal
and Moncton will volunteer their time to handle phone donations
to support the Canada for Haiti event. This signature Canadian
event is a one hour live national broadcast with CTV, CBC
and Global, on Friday, January 22, 2010, airing at 7:00 p.m.
EST. RBC employees will continue to accept Canadian phone
donations during the broadcast of the "Hope for Haiti
Now" benefit organized by George Clooney, airing on these
networks.
The RBC Blue Water Project was launched in 2007 to help foster
a culture of water stewardship in Canada and abroad, and includes
a 10-year, $50 million philanthropic commitment to programs
supporting watershed protection and access to clean drinking
water. Since 2007, RBC has committed more than $20.48 million
in single and multi-year grants to 155 organizations, including
ONE DROP.
RBC is recognized among the world's financial, social and
environmental leaders and is included on the Dow Jones World
and North American Sustainability Indices, the Jantzi Social
Index, the FTSE4Good Index and the Global 100 Most Sustainable
Corporations ranking. In 2009, RBC contributed more than $105
million to community causes worldwide, through donations of
more than $52.6 million, and an additional $52.5 million in
sponsorship of community events and national organizations.
For more, visit rbc.com/bluewater.
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Media contacts:
Stephanie Lu,
Head, Media Relations, (416) 974-5506, stephanie.lu@rbc.com
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