Edmonton, AB - Friday, December 20, 2013
While Kal Tire members are usually focused on getting drivers back on the road, a special fundraiser saw Alberta stores raising money to help the children and youth served by Kids Help Phone in Alberta and across Canada. Today, Kal Tire presented the organization with a cheque for $21,700.
“Kids Help Phone has made a promise to be there for every kid in Canada, and Kal Tire’s support has been integral in ensuring we are able to keep that commitment to young people in Alberta and across the country”
To celebrate Kal Tire’s 60th anniversary earlier this year, several Kal Tire locations across the province raised money for the Kids Help Phone. Initiatives included proceeds from in-store sales, summer barbeques, garage sales and more. Kids Help Phone is a Canadian and world leader, known for its expertise in providing vital, innovative counseling services to children and youth.
“We picked Kids Help Phone as our charity because the health of children and youth, including their families, has always been a focus for our organization,” says Ali Arafat, Zone Manager, Kal Tire. “We have team members and customers spread out across the province and it’s nice to know that Kids Help Phone is available to provide their children and youth with the counseling services they may need.”
Kids Help Phone is a holistic service. We recognize that no “one size fits all” approach works for every kid every time. We invite young people to engage with us in a variety of ways (called counseling modalities) based on what works best for them in the moment. They often discover us through circuitous routes. We give them as many doors as possible – and they make use of them.
“Kids Help Phone has made a promise to be there for every kid in Canada, and Kal Tire’s support has been integral in ensuring we are able to keep that commitment to young people in Alberta and across the country,” says Sharon Wood, President & CEO, Kids Help Phone. “The efforts that Kal Tire and its team members have made to improve the mental health and well-being of young people within its communities and beyond is both outstanding and inspiring. Thanks to the time, energy and dedication from Kal Tire, young people will continue to receive the help and hope they need, whenever they need it most.”
Kal Tire stores across the country raised money for various charities as a way to give back and support the communities that helped them grow over the past 60 years in Canada.
About Kids Help Phone
Kids Help Phone is a Canadian and world leader, known for our expertise in providing vital, innovative, and professional counseling services to children and youth. Since 1989, we have offered children, teens and young adults in Canada a critical lifeline of hope and support, through our free, anonymous and confidential service. Our professional counselors support the mental health and well-being of young people ages five to 20, in urban, rural and remote communities, by providing one-to-one counseling, information and resources online and by phone. Our internationally recognized, award-winning websites are considered a model of child-focused interactive design, and offer online counselling forums and engaging, therapeutic games, tools and information to encourage resilience and self-care. A community-based national charity, Kids Help Phone receives no guaranteed ongoing financial support from government or any large funder and relies on community and corporate support to keep our essential service available. We’re there for the * 6.5 million young people in Canada, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in English and in French.
*Source: represents the age group Kids Help Phone serves (5-20 yrs.) according to Statistic Canada, 2013. SOURCE: Kids Help Phone
