Niagara Region Has a Lot of Heart

Straight from the Heart, a month long community-wide fundraiser for the Heart & Stoke Foundation of Ontario.

St. Catharines, ON (PRWEB) March 10, 2005 -- The Pen Centre proved once again that Niagara Region has a lot of heart when it comes to supporting their friends and neighbours.

Straight from the Heart, a month long community wide initiative in partnership with the Niagara Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario, succeeded in raising awareness of heart disease among women. For the entire month of February, the Pen Centre held heart healthy seminars, Food for Fashion Shows, cooking demos and health seminars conducted by experts in the area of blood pressure, cholesterol and nutrition.

Funds were raised through the sale of note cards and donors were given a beautiful enameled lapel pin emblazoned with the unique Straight from the Heart graphic as a symbol of their support. The fundraiser kicked off with a brisk walk-a-thon around the malls 1-mile concourse raising over $4,000 in less than one hour for the Niagara Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. The Pen Centre also donated an additional $3,589.25, a percentage of February Gift Certificate sales.

Rick Woodward, Pen Centres Marketing Director stated, we are so pleased with the response to Straight from the Heart. After the devastating tsunami, we were aware that people really had to dig deep into their pockets to support our charitable endeavour. As usual, the generosity of the people here in Niagara never ceases to impress."

The Pen Centre also offered a fabulous Straight from the Heart Grand Prize of a pampering stay for two at the luxurious Langdon Hall Country House Hotel in Cambridge. Natalie Reynolds of St. Catharines won this wonderful prize, valued at $1,200 and plans on inviting her mother to join her for the day.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to the tremendous contribution made by our community partners. Without their generosity, Straight from the Heart would not have been a region-wide initiative", says Woodward. It is our hope that the Pen Centre will be in a position to make Straight from the Heart an annual event."

Photo Caption:

Natalie Reynolds of St. Catharines won the fabulous Straight from the Heart Grand Prize of a pampering stay for two at the luxurious Langdon Hall Country House Hotel in Cambridge.

For additional information please contact:

Rick Woodward

Marketing Director

The Pen Centre

(905) 704-4159

rwoodward@20vic.com

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