Siemens Canada’s contribution to the 2009 Great Strides™ Walk of $100,000 plus, puts the company’s total contribution over the $1 million mark in total towards its ongoing support of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Siemens Canada, a long-time supporter of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF), took a big step in the fight against cystic fibrosis (CF) when their employees, their family and friends laced up and participated in the 2009 Great Strides™ Taking Steps to Cure Cystic Fibrosis walk on Sunday, May 31, 2009.

The Great Strides™ walk, currently in its fifth year, is a national family-oriented fundraising event held on the last Sunday of May – Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month.  Each year, in more than 60 communities across the country, thousands of Canadians participate in the Great Strides™ walk to raise funds in support of the work of the Foundation. This year, the CCFF reached $2.2 million in total exceeding its 2009 goal by $200,000 and increasing the 2008 donations by $400,000.

Siemens Canada, which has supported the Foundation for more than 13 years, sponsored the event as a National Team Partner, and entered six Siemens walking teams across Canada. The Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation thanks Siemens, and their employees for their support.  This year, the employees contributed almost $45,000. Combined with the corporate matching component as well as a $25,000 sponsorship provided by Siemens Canada, the total contribution is almost $115,000.

“Participating in the Great Strides™ walk is a wonderful way for Siemens Canada to strengthen our support of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation,” said Roland Aurich, President and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Canada.  “It is also an excellent opportunity for our employees to be directly engaged in our Siemens Caring Hands community support strategy.  This year’s contribution brings our total commitment over the years to more than $1 million.  Siemens is proud to support better care and treatment for all Canadians with cystic fibrosis.”

Locally, the Siemens Canada employees from the offices located in the GTA, Calgary, Edmonton, Cambridge, Montreal and Peterborough participated in the walks hosted in their cities.

“We are so very grateful to have Siemens Canada’s support in the fight against cystic fibrosis,” said Cathleen Morrison, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  “The walk raises much-needed funds for research and clinical care.  With committed supporters like Siemens Canada, the hope for a cure for this devastating disease is brighter than ever.”

About Siemens in Canada

Siemens is one of the largest and most diversified companies in the world of electronics and electrical engineering, operating in the industry, energy and healthcare sectors.  The company has approximately 6,000 employees in Canada, working to develop and manufacture products, design and install complex systems and projects, and tailor a wide range of solutions for individual requirements.   For almost 100 years in Canada, Siemens has stood for technical achievements, innovation, quality and reliability.  Sales for Siemens in Canada for fiscal 2008 (ended September 30), were $2.6 billion CAD. 

About CF and the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Cystic fibrosis, which affects the lungs and the digestive system, is the most common, fatal, genetic disease affecting Canadian children and young adults. In the digestive tract, cystic fibrosis blocks the absorption of adequate nutrients from food. In the lungs, the effects of the disease are most devastating; and with time, respiratory problems become increasingly severe. Ultimately, most cystic fibrosis deaths are due to lung disease.
The Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a Canada-wide health charity, with 50 volunteer chapters, that funds cystic fibrosis research and care. In 2009, the Foundation is supporting more than 50 research projects, which are exploring all aspects of the cystic fibrosis puzzle; from investigating new methods of fighting infection and inflammation in the lungs, to finding new therapies that target the basic defect at a cellular level.

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