$40,000 given to charities from Give Girls A Chance
Three year old fundraising group has already donated over $150,000 toward educating girls
For immediate release
Toronto, July 16, 2004 - Give Girls A Chance, a fundraising initiative of Tides Canada Foundation has donated $40,000 to charities which help girls in Canada and around the world get an education.
Since 2002,Give Girls A Chance, the designated charity of the now over 500 member running group JeansMarines has raised over $150,000 in sponsorship for running in races. JeansMarines, founded by Toronto physician, Dr. Jean Marmoreo, have run and been sponsored in races such as the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., runs organized by Running Room stores in Edmonton, Toronto, as well as the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. This year, Give Girls a Chance is also the designated charity for the upcoming PowerBar Rock 'n Roll 5K race to be held in Toronto on Friday, July 16.
"It's amazing how people understand immediately the vital importance of a fund like this when we tell them about it," says CBC broadcaster Avril Benoit, the chair of GGAC'S Avisory Board. "Every day the news is filled with stories about the inequities that persist for girls in many parts of the world. Even in Canada, aboriginal girls and teen moms have a much lower chance of finishing high school and going on to university than the rest of the population. As the profile of Give Girls a Chance grows, so does our confidence that we can raise even more money this year and beyond."
This second disbursement of $40,000 grants have been given to:
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Canadian Women for Women Afghanistan - $10,000.
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Jessie's Centre for Teenagers - Toronto $5,000.
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Literature for Life - Toronto $5,000.
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National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation - Canada $5,000.
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Stephen Lewis Foundation for the Umoyo Training Centre for Girls - Zambia $10,000.
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Victoria Society for Educational Alternatives - Victoria, B.C. $5,000.
The first disbursement of $110,000 was shared between the Stephen Lewis Foundation for the Umoyo Training Centre for Girls - Zambia, Rights and Democracy - Canadian Women for Women Afghanistan, Oxfam Canada (for girls' education in Ethiopia),National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation - Canada, Jessie's Centre for Teenagers - Toronto, Victoria Society for Educational Alternatives - Victoria, which focuses on education for girls and women.
Donations are given to established Canadian charities with impeccable track records here and abroad which focus on educating girls and women. Both the World Bank and UNICEF have identified education of girls as the key to improving the lives of all. Countries that improve access to schooling show tangible improvements in poverty reduction rates, economic growth, public hearth, environmental protection and government transparency. In its annual report on the state of the world's children, released in December of 2003, the United Nations Children's Fund estimated that 65 million girls are being denied the most basic education.
The motto for Give Girls A Chance - Educate a Girl. Change the World. - was created to make the direct link between a girl's education and a nation's welfare. For further information on Give Girls a Chance, its activities, or to donate online, go to http://www.givegirlsachance.org and follow the prompts.
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