On June 18, Lacombe RBC presented a $1,000 donation to the City of Lacombe’s parks and culture department to go towards the purchase of outdoor fitness equipment, which will be erected along Lacombe’s trail system.
The money was received by the Lacombe RBC through the Day of Service Grant, which is funded by RBC’s Blue Water Initiative.
To qualify for the grant, several Lacombe RBC staff members, along with their families, participated in a clean up at the Wolf Creek Recycle Depot in May.
Lacombe RBC was one of 123 organizations across Canada, the U.S., the U.K. Australia, Singapore, Jamaica and the Turks and Caicos Islands to benefit from the grant.
Totals for funding through the grants amounted to more than $2.3 million.
“Water is the lifeblood of our planet and vital for our social and economic wellbeing,” said Gord Nixon, the president and CEO of RBC.
“Since the RBC Blue Water Project was established in 2007, we have committed more than $38 million in grants to some 650 organizations around the world working to protect our most precious natural resource.
“We are honoured to support the important efforts of this year’s grant recipients, whose projects reflect our new focus on urban water issues.”
In December 2012, the RBC Blue Water Project announced a shift in focus to address a significant, emerging issue that is relevant to the majority of RBC employees and clients - protecting and preserving water in towns, cities and urbanized areas.
The 2013-2014 Leadership and Community Action Grants are funding programs that improve urban water quality and efficient use, enhance storm water management and protect and restore urban waterways.
“By 2050, three quarters of the world’s population will live in cities,” explained Alexandra Cousteau, RBC Blue Water Project Ambassador and National Geographic Emerging Explorer.
“With more people, our urban water resources will become even more strained than they are today.
“The 2013 RBC Blue Water Project Leadership and Community Action Grant recipients are working to solve some of the most critical water issues facing our growing communities and helping to ensure we have the clean water we need for the future.”
The RBC Blue Water Project is a historic, wide-ranging, 10-year global commitment to help protect the world’s most precious natural resource -- fresh water.
Since 2007, RBC has pledged over $38 million to more than 650 charitable organizations worldwide that protect water, including the grants announced today, with an additional $7.8 million pledged to universities for water programs.
In 2013-2014, the RBC Blue Water Project will focus on supporting initiatives that help protect water in towns, cities and urbanized areas. For further information, visit www.rbc.com/bluewater.