SURREY – Fruiticana, one of Western Canada's largest grocery chains, has raised $100,000 for the Surrey Hospitals Foundation’s Children’s Health Centre renewal campaign. Fruiticana raised the money from two in-store fundraising campaigns throughout the year in celebration of Diwali and Vaisakhi.

As one of the Foundation’s first Community Champions, Fruiticana has continued to give generously to the Foundation’s fundraising campaigns. The Community Champions program was launched in 2019 to spark interest amongst philanthropic businesses who are looking for creative ways to give back to their community.

The Children’s Health Centre at Surrey Memorial Hospital (SMH) is the only health facility in the Fraser Health region dedicated to children’s health and paediatric emergencies, including children’s surgery and cancer programs. SMH has the region’s only children’s emergency department, one of only two in British Columbia. The Children’s Health Centre treats 43 per cent of B.C.’s children who reside in the Fraser Health region, and treated 46,000 children in 2019.

The Foundation is working with the community to raise $6 million to transform the Children’s Health Centre, to add and expand new clinics and services including Neurology, Cardiology & Nephrology (kidney).

Fruiticana will be holding a photo opportunity for their cheque presentation event tomorrow, Thursday, October 22nd at 3 p.m. at their Surrey headquarters at 7676 Anvil Way.

Attendees include:

* Tony Singh, Founder & President, Fruiticana

* Azra Hussain, Surrey Hospitals Foundation, Chief Operating Officer

* Don Hickling, Surrey Hospitals Foundation’s Vice President, Leadership Giving

* Sonia Virk, Surrey Hospitals Foundation Board Member

* Harp Dhillon, Surrey Hospitals Foundation Board Member

* Anita Huberman, CEO, Surrey Board of Trade

About Surrey Hospitals Foundation:

Surrey Hospitals Foundation is the largest non-government funder of health care for families in Surrey and surrounding Fraser Valley communities. The Foundation supports the major health facilities in the region, Surrey Memorial Hospital (SMH) and Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre (JPOCSC), as well as numerous specialized programs for newborns, children, adults and seniors. The Foundation invests in the future of health care by funding innovative research in Surrey that can lead to medical breakthroughs. https://surreyhospitalsfoundation.com