| Please contact Ryan
Cureatz (416-222-6335 ex. 222 or rcureatz@hopeair.org)
for further information and story opportunities.
2004-11-03
NEWS RELEASE
Hope Air and RBC Royal Bank Team Up to Fly Patients in Need
to Medical Treatment
TORONTO, Nov. 2 - RBC
Royal Bank and Hope Air are announcing a new way for Visa
RBC Rewards cardholders to help Canadian families in need
using their RBC Rewards points.
Visa RBC Rewards cardholders may now donate their RBC Rewards
points to Hope Air, a registered Canadian charity dedicated
to arranging free air transportation for Canadians who are
ill and in financial need, requiring non-emergency medical
care outside their home communities.
"Hope Air fulfills a very important
need in the Canadian healthcare system," said Marc
Garneau, President of the Canadian Space Agency and Hope
Air's Honourary Patron. "People in remote communities
suffer from disadvantages others in larger cities in Canada
don't."
Hope Air will use all donations of RBC Rewards points toward
arranging flights on Canada's commercial airlines for those
who need and qualify for its charitable service. Cardholders
will receive an official tax receipt from Hope Air in about
six weeks.
"Thousands of Canadians in desperate need of our assistance
are going to benefit from this arrangement," said Jinnie
Bradshaw, Executive Director and co-founder of Hope Air.
"Through the generosity of donors, we'll be able to
arrange many more flights for sick children and families
who can't access the medical care they need without the
travel assistance we provide."
This alliance continues a loyal tradition
of RBC support for Hope Air. RBC was one of the first corporations
in Canada to participate in Hope Air's innovative Corporate
Aircraft Program and Hope Air continues to receive generous
annual contributions from the RBC Foundation.
"We see this arrangement with Hope Air as a win-win
for everyone," said Andrew Mitchell, director, RBC
Rewards and Partnerships. "Hope Air performs a vital
service for families in need and many of our cardholders
have indicated that they would like to use their RBC Rewards
points to support worthwhile causes."
To donate RBC Rewards points to Hope Air simply click on
www.rbcrewards.com
or call 1-800 ROYAL®1-2 and choose Hope Air as the redemption
option.
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For further information, contact:
Ryan Cureatz
Coordinator, Public Relations & Development
Hope Air
4711 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON M2N 6K8
416-222-6335 ex. 222
Judi Levita
RBC Media Relations
416-974-1756
About Hope Air
Hope Air is a registered Canadian Charity, founded in 1986,
whose vision is to ensure that no Canadian is denied needed
medical care for lack of access to air transportation. The
organization arranges flights to recognized health facilities
for medical care not available in the patient's home community.
Since its inception, Hope Air has provided more than 45,000
flights to Canadians in need. The majority of Hope Air's
aircraft seat capacity is provided by Canada's commercial
airlines, led by Air Canada, Provincial Airlines and WestJet
Airlines. Hope Air has also established a Volunteer Pilot
Program, involving more than 200 qualified pilots who donate
their time, aircraft and piloting skills, to serve communities
not well covered by commercial airlines.
About RBC Financial Group
Royal Bank of Canada (TSX, NYSE: RY) uses the initials RBC
as a prefix for its businesses and operating subsidiaries,
which operate under the master brand name of RBC Financial
Group. RBC Financial Group (RBC) has one of the leading
community care programs in Canada. In 2003, RBC invested
over $57 million with charitable organizations and sponsorship
partners in communities across the country, supporting education,
health care, amateur athletics and the arts, among other
causes. In 2003, Report on Business magazine named RBC the
"most socially responsible" corporation in Canada.
For more information, please visit www.rbc.com.
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