NOT-FOR-PROFIT organisation UFS Pharmacies donated more than $50,000 to Bendigo community groups as part of its Building a Healthier Community program this week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A cheque presentation at the Foundry Hotel Complex on Tuesday night saw the organisation give 67 community organisations donations of varying amounts.
The program is run from the pharmacy's membership fees, which are $12 per year.
Members nominate an organisation they would like to support and 50 per cent - or $6 - of their fee is donated to the group of their choice.
The main beneficiaries of the 2013 - 2014 program included the Bendigo Breast Cancer Support Network and the Bendigo Animal Welfare & Community Services organisation, which were each given $5000.
Strathfieldsaye Primary School, St Francis of the Fields and Maiden Gully Primary School were each given about $2500.
UFS Pharmacies operations manager Rowan Powell said the program had been running for eight years and was a success.
"It creates a framework for us for our members to determine where the money goes," he said.
"It takes the decision out of our hands, which is nice.
"We're excited that the program continues to grow.
"UFS staff are proud of it."
