FIJI Water employees yesterday gave away more than $52,000 to 22 charities and social welfare organizations.
Sixteen recipients attended a special ceremony held at the company's office in Naikabula, Lautoka.

Among organisations to benefit were the Veilomani Methodist Boys Home, Fiji Society for the Blind, Treasure House Children’s Home, Fiji Crippled Children’s Society, Dilkusha Girls Home, Society for Prevention of Cruelty against Animals and Save the Children Fiji.

The company has been giving back to the local community for many years through the donation of water, sponsorship, local outreach, volunteer work and FIJI Water Foundation projects.

Now it is celebrating its third year of the 'roll giving' programme, under which employees designate which charities they want to help.

FIJI Water Foundation manager Molly Powers said every year the firm gave all its salaried, Fiji-based employees $450-$1800 to donate to charities of their choice.

'This sort of corporate philanthropy is slowly becoming the norm overseas, but FIJI Water is the first company to do it locally,” she said.

“The program began mid-2007 with just three named charities and has grown today to include over 20 organisations identified by our employees.

“For the past three years, FIJI Water has achieved 100 per cent participation in the programme, showing our employees’ enthusiasm for giving back.

“We are privileged to host representatives from 16 organisations that have received outstanding support from our employees in 2009 and there is more to come this year.

“The collective donations of our employees total over $52,000, showing that many small contributions add up to a big difference.

"This is a form of appreciation given by our employees from their heart to the charity organisations for their overwhelming contribution to our communities.”

Recipients said they were running out of words to thank FIJI Water for its contribution to charity.

Fiji Sun. 16 January 2010