Three unique events in one week demonstrate strong commitment of Pharmascience to its employees and the community Français
Youth Leadership Day, Community Partnership Day and first-in-Canada Helping Hands team-building project contribute to company making a difference
MONTREAL, Sept. 12, 2013 /CNW/ - Three unique events this week at Montreal's Pharmascience Inc., Canada's 10th largest pharmaceutical company and third largest maker of generic drugs, are demonstrating how the company lives up to two of its key commitments - to engage its 1,400 employees and give back to the community.
On Sunday, Sept. 15, about 250 young people age 8 to 17 are expected to take part in the third annual Youth Leadership Day at the company's headquarters on Royalmount Avenue in Montreal. The attendees will include children of employees as well as children who are benefiting from Centraide-financed programs at community centres in the neighbouring Côte-des-Neiges district of Montreal.
Highlighting the morning-long workshops on youth engagement and the basics of leadership will be presentations by Paralympic champion wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc, celebrity chef, author and food blogger Bob le Chef, and upcoming young comic Jérémy Du Temple from l'École nationale de l'humour.
Also appearing to inspire the young people will be 2012 Olympic Games beach volleyball competitor Marie-Andrée Lessard and Travis Gerrits, world freestyle skiing rookie of the year in 2011, World Championships silver medalist earlier this year and member of the Canadian Olympic team going to Sochi, Russia, next February.
Tomorrow, Sept. 13, more than 200 employees will spend the day volunteering at a variety of Montreal non-profit organizations in the company's annual Morris Goodman Community Partnership Day. The event is named after the company's co-founder and chairman, Morris Goodman, and occurs close to his birthday - he turns 82 this year, the 30th anniversary of the company's founding.
Among the places employees will be volunteering, organized through Volunteer West Island are: the Moisson Montréal food bank, Welcome Hall Mission, Share the Warmth, Héritage Laurentien in Angrignon Park, Centre multi-ressources in Lachine, the Persaud seniors' residences, West Island Association for the Intellectually Handicapped and West Island Palliative Care Residence.
Earlier this week, Pharmascience employees also took part in a unique team-building event, the first of its kind held in Canada, drawing media attention. Called Helping Hands, the activity involves small groups of employees working together for several hours to assemble a prosthetic hand from a kit of parts, provided with detailed instructions. Each team works together to assemble a hand, with the finished products sent overseas to be distributed to the tens of thousands of people who need but cannot afford prosthetic devices.
"Pharmascience takes very seriously its commitment to both the local and wider community, as well as to helping our employees be a big part of fulfilling that commitment," said Ben Lemelin, Vice-President Human Resources, Pharmascience Inc. "Everyone is a winner when at the same time we can engage our employees and their families as well as help good causes at home and overseas."
About Pharmascience Inc.
Founded 30 years ago in Montreal, where its headquarters remain, privately held Pharmascience Inc. is Canada's 10th-largest pharmaceutical company. Its generic drug division is Canada's third largest. It also makes and distributes patented prescription and over-the-counter treatments through its Pendopharm division. Through its International Division, its products are exported to 60 countries around the world. Pharmascience is one of Canada's leading corporate investors in research and development and employs more than 1,400 people, primarily in Montreal. Over the years, Pharmascience has donated products with a wholesale value of $40 million for overseas humanitarian use, making it one of the most generous product donors in the Canadian pharmaceutical industry. www.pharmascience.com
- For information about Volunteer West Island, visit www.volunteerwestisland.org.
- Information on the three Leadership Day speakers is available at:
- For information about Helping Hands, visit www.helpinghandstrainingcanada.ca.
SOURCE: Pharmascience Inc.
Silvie Letendre
Letendre Communications
Tel: (514) 430-9119
[email protected]
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