OLDS — Staff at the Rexall store in Uptowne Olds shared a little coffee and cake on June 28 to celebrate a big achievement.
This spring, they raised the largest amount of money among all Rexall stores in Canada for Ronald McDonald House Charities Alberta (RMHCA): $4,977.
Rexall pharmacy practice lead Sylvie Druteika said combined, the 390 Rexall stores across Canada raised a total of $150,000 for RMHCA, which provides a place for families with seriously ill children to stay while those children are hospitalized.
Tracy Muller, manager of the Olds Rexall store, says it was a full effort by employees with lots of help from customers.
“We had a bake sale, we had a book sale, we had someone playing piano to raise funds, we had a bottle drive, we collected money at the tills and we had some raffles,” she said.
“The donations from our customers was the biggest (factor). We couldn’t have done it without them.”
Muller said the six-week fundraising drive was held from roughly April into May.
Isabella Erick, a cosmetician at Rexall Olds, said the response from customers was overwhelming.
“When we were taking donations, we had slips that were shaped like little houses with ‘Ronald McDonald House’ and people would write their names on them,” she said.
Erick said the plan had been to tape them up behind the tills in the shape of a house, but things got a little “disorganized.”
Sandi Ferchau, stewardship manager of Ronald McDonald House Charities Alberta, was amazed at how much the Olds store was able to raise.
“We think Rexall is absolutely incredible, going the extra mile to support our families here in Alberta and all across Canada,” Ferchau said.
“They’re a very great partner to all of us and we’re super thrilled that they took the time to make the effort to fundraise in each of their stores across Canada.
“And I want to say congratulations to Rexall in Olds for being the number 1 fundraiser.”
RMHCA has four facilities across Alberta, in Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary and Medicine Hat.
