SickKids Radiothon Brings Second Annual Healthy and Happy Campaign to a Close

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 4, 2013) - SickKids Foundation is pleased to announce more than $12 million was raised throughout the month of May during the second annual SickKids Healthy and Happy campaign.

The campaign is built on one premise - every child deserves to be healthy and happy. Thanks to support from key annual events including the NEWSTALK 1010 SickKids Radiothon presented by Foresters™, and Meagan's Walk, together with 68 corporate partners and cause marketing campaigns, 61 third-party community events and private donations, the community has rallied to support SickKids, helping to ensure more children can lead healthy and happy lives.

Launched May 1, Healthy and Happy is a SickKids effort to build awareness of pressing children's health issues and the need for community support to further research and patient care. This year's campaign raised awareness of child and youth mental health including signs, symptoms, trends and treatment.

To support the campaign and learn more, SickKids invited the community to play a fun and interactive online game aimed at starting the conversation about mental health. More than 25,000 people played youandme, a mental health discovery game during the month of May. The campaign's website received a high of more than 172,000 visits and over 6,500 mental health tip sheets were downloaded, with anxiety being the most popular topic.

Highlights of funds raised throughout the campaign include:

• More than $2 million raised at the 27^th annual NEWSTALK 1010 SickKids Radiothon held May 30, including $1.6 million in monthly donations this year from previous Radiothon Miracle Club donors and $400,000 in sponsorships and donations to purchase four pieces of lifesaving equipment for patients at SickKids.
• More than $320,000 raised at the 12^th annual Meagan's Walk held May 11, a record-breaking day, bringing the total raised to date to more than $3 million for brain tumour research;
• More than $1.5 million raised through Children's Miracle Network partner campaigns in May including Walmart, Costco, RE/MAX and Marriott.

To date, Astral Media, together with Foresters as presenting sponsor of SickKids Radiothon, have helped raise more than $42 million to support the hospital.

"We are so thankful to the community for supporting SickKids throughout our second annual Healthy and Happy campaign. Our donors and partners have really come together to express their generosity in a variety of ways including making donations, increasing awareness of our cause and encouraging their customers and employees to support SickKids," says Ted Garrard, President and CEO, SickKids Foundation. "We had a new format for Radiothon this year and thanks to the generosity of everyone who donated, we can help the hospital buy four pieces of equipment on its capital priorities list. Community support makes a real difference in helping improve children's health."

Funds raised during Radiothon enable SickKids to purchase the following equipment:

• An incubator that allows infants to be safely transferred to another facility or location;
• A special treatment used to heal wounds and burns and provide patients with comfort;
• A portable brain monitoring system for the hospital's critical care unit that allows staff to observe a child's brain activity; and
• A diagnostic tool that offers advanced technology to determine the presence of leukemia cells.

Through "Dollar for Dollar" sponsorships from Bailey Metal Products, Topper's Pizza and 407 ETR, together with private donations, SickKids will be able to purchase three pieces of equipment at $60,000 each. Through Foresters' sponsorship, together with private donations, SickKids will be able to purchase one piece of equipment for $120,000.

SickKids staff, volunteers from Foresters and Astral Media's team were touched by the moving and heartfelt stories told by patients, parents and staff during the 4-hour broadcast. The program featured a mix of current and former SickKids patients and families recounting their compelling stories-motivating listeners to pledge their donations.

"We are very proud to continue our 27-year relationship with SickKids and to help support the incredible work they do," says Val Meyer, Vice President and General Manager, Toronto Market, Astral.

This year's Radiothon offered the community several different ways to donate, such as "Pay and Play", an 18-hour fundraising initiative that took place on boom 97.3 from May 30 to 31 where song requests generated $10,000 in donations to SickKids. All three of Astral Toronto's stations boom 97.3, 99.9 Virgin Radio and NEWSTALK 1010, also supported the hospital during the month of May by helping to promote the Healthy and Happy campaign.

About Astral

Astral is one of Canada's largest media companies. It operates more than 100 of the country's most popular pay and specialty television, radio, out-of-home advertising and digital media properties. Astral plays a central role in community life across the country by offering diverse, rich and vibrant programming that meets the tastes and needs of consumers and advertisers. To learn more about Astral, visit astral.com.

About Foresters

Foresters™ is a life insurance provider with a difference. The fraternal benefit society, founded in 1874, supports family well-being through quality products, unique member benefits and inspiring community activities. Foresters shares its financial strength with over one million members in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit foresters.com.

Foresters™ is the trade name and a trademark of The Independent Order of Foresters, a fraternal benefit society, 789 Don Mills Road, Toronto, Canada M3C 1T9; its subsidiaries are licensed to use this mark.

About SickKids Foundation

Established in 1972, SickKids Foundation raises funds on behalf of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and is the largest charitable funder of child health research, learning and care in Canada. Philanthropy is a critical source of funding for SickKids -- one of the world's foremost paediatric health-care institutions. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012, SickKids Foundation made an investment of $61.3 million in children's health, a direct result of community and corporate support. For more information, please visit www.sickkidsfoundation.com.