TORONTO, Sept. 3, 2020 /CNW/ - Today, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Canada and CIBC are pleased to announce a new partnership. CIBC will become RMHC Canada's newest National Mission Partner with a three-year commitment to help families with sick children stay close to each other and close to the care they need.

The CIBC – RMHC National Mission Partnership will support 34 RMHC programs across Canada (16 RMHC Houses, 17 RMHC Family Rooms, 1 Ronald McDonald Care Mobile), and will provide a remarkable 1,488 nights of comfort for families staying at RMHC each year.

"We are incredibly grateful for CIBC's commitment to supporting families with sick children in communities across Canada, at a time when the need has never been greater," said Kate Horton, Executive Director, RMHC Canada. "Sadly, children continue to get sick during COVID-19 and families must travel to get the health care their child needs. RMHC is experiencing up to 40% reduction in funding as a result of COVID-19, and this partnership will provide meaningful and essential funding to the over 26,000 families across Canada who are supported by RMHC each year."

A family arrives at an RMHC doorstep every 20 minutes and last year over 3,000 families were turned away due to lack of space. With this partnership, CIBC becomes one of seven RMHC National Mission partners, and joins a group of caring companies who are united in their commitment to support families with sick children in communities across Canada.

"CIBC has a long-standing history of supporting our communities," said Stephen Forbes, Executive Vice-President, Purpose, Brand and Corporate Affairs at CIBC. "Helping our friends at Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada to expand their local support for families across the country - particularly at a time when the need for valuable care programs has never been more critical – makes us proud that we can do our part to help RMHC reach their goal of keeping families together."

To mark this new partnership, CIBC is sending a sweet treat of RMHC Cookies to all the RMHC Houses across the country, brightening a family's day during a difficult time.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities® Canada (RMHC® CANADA)
In Canada, 65 per cent of families live outside a city with a children's hospital, and must travel for treatment if their child is seriously ill. The RMHC network of programs in Canada helps to keep more than 26,000 families close to their sick child and the care they need each year. The 16 Ronald McDonald Houses provide out-of-town families with a home to stay at while their child is being treated at a nearby hospital, while the 17 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms provide a comfortable place for families to rest and recharge, right inside hospitals. Through the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, basic medical care is available to underserved communities in Alberta. For more information, please visit rmhccanada.ca.

About CIBC
CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with 10 million personal banking, business, public sector and institutional clients. United under the bank's community investment initiative One for Change, CIBC and its team are committed to coming together to help people and communities realize their ambitions. In 2019, CIBC and its team invested $79 million in community organizations across Canada and the U.S. Ongoing news releases and more information about CIBC can be found at www.cibc.com/en/about-cibc/media-centre.html.

SOURCE CIBC

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