Feb 15: Fundraising for Indian Earthquake

Vancouver, February 15, 2001 - Vancity Credit Union is lending its support to the Ray of Hope - India Earthquake Relief Committee to raise funds to help with the earthquake relief effort in India.

Vancity branches are accepting cheque donations on behalf of World Vision Canada, and Vancity will match all donations made by its members up to $25,000. To make a donation, members and the general public can drop off their cheque - made out to World Vision Canada - to any Vancity branch in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley or Victoria. Donors will receive a tax receipt from World Vision Canada for donations of $15 or more.Please note that Vancity will accept donations by cheque only.

Vancity is also supporting a fundraising dinner to be held at the Riverside Palace, 14431 Knox Way in Richmond on Saturday, March 10, 2001. Tickets are $125 per person, with all proceeds going directly to World Vision's Indian earthquake relief effort.

World Vision is an international relief and development non-profit organization with over 50 years of serving the poor worldwide. World Vision has been in India since 1965. All donations for India will go directly towards the emergency efforts, and no money will be sent to any other projects or programs outside India.

For more information on making a donation, or to purchase tickets to the March 10 fundraiser, please call Harbans Kandola, manager of Vancity's Fraser and 47th Ave. Community Branch, at 877-7070, or Jodh Dhaliwal, manager of Vancity's Newton Community Branch in Surrey, at 877-7270.

Vancity is Canada's largest credit union, with $6.9 billion in assets, 266,000 members, and 39 branches throughout Greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Victoria. Vancity owns Citizens Bank of Canada, serving members across the country by telephone, ATM, and the Internet. Both Vancity and Citizens Bank are guided by a commitment to corporate social responsibility, and to improve the quality of life in the communities where we live and work.