Red Deer, Alta. – The Western Hockey League and RE/MAX of Western Canada are proud to announce
that over $460,000 has been raised through two seasons of the ‘RE/MAX Presents: WHL Suits Up with
Don Cherry to Promote Organ Donation’ campaign.
Beginning Saturday, January 19 through Saturday, March 9, 2019, the WHL’s 17 Canadian member Clubs
played host to themed game nights, complete with a variety of promotions for fans in attendance.
“No force in Canada is stronger than Canadians who love hockey, so when the Western Hockey League
joined forces with The Kidney Foundation of Canada and RE/MAX of Western Canada to promote organ
donation, you knew something great was going to happen,” Don Cherry says. “In two years, together,
they raised nearly half a million dollars and brought organ donation front and centre in people’s
minds. Last year there was a rise of transplants in Canada by 2.6 per cent, in the west that percentage
was 13.3 per cent. All involved should be very proud.”
A second special-edition bobblehead was given to 1,000 fans at each game along with 1,000 plaid
house-shaped RE/MAX drink koozies. Fans in attendance also took photos with a life-size Don Cherry cut
out. On the ice, WHL Clubs sported their own unique and specially-designed Don Cherry-themed
uniforms, complete with player-selected nicknames instead of traditional surnames.
“Once again, WHL fans in Western Canada have shown a tremendous willingness to get behind a noble
cause in support of The Kidney Foundation of Canada,” comments WHL Commissioner Ron Robison.
“Incredible contributions from WHL fans, the partnership of the WHL’s longest standing corporate
sponsor, RE/MAX of Western Canada, and the support of Don Cherry and his family have all been
instrumental in assisting the WHL in promoting awareness of the importance of organ donation.”
Fans had the opportunity to bid on the limited-edition jerseys, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going
to local chapters of The Kidney Foundation of Canada. In addition to game-worn uniforms, fans were
given the chance to bid on a Don Cherry-autographed jersey in each participating WHL market.
“The generosity of Western Canadians is truly remarkable,” says Elaine Langhout, Director of Regional
Advertising for RE/MAX of Western Canada. “At this year’s games, we even saw some folks wearing last
year’s jerseys and we thank all the fans who came out and supported us and this tremendous cause, and
most of all, we thank Don Cherry and his family for sharing their story.”
The Cherry family, RE/MAX and the WHL came together to create this awareness campaign in support of
The Kidney Foundation of Canada. Though the number of transplants increased by 13 per cent last year,
4,300 Canadians still await organ transplants today, with 80% of them needing a kidney.
For more information on ‘RE/MAX Presents: WHL Suits Up with Don Cherry to Promote Organ Donation’
or to sign up to be a donor, visit CanadaDonates.ca.
About RE/MAX of Western Canada
RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger, with an innovative, entrepreneurial culture
affording its agents and franchisees the flexibility to operate their businesses with great independence.
Over 125,000 agents provide RE/MAX a global reach of more than 110 countries and territories. RE/MAX
is Canada’s leading real estate organization with more than 21,000 Sales Associates and over 922
independently-owned and operated offices nationwide. RE/MAX, LLC, one of the world’s leading
franchisors of real estate brokerage services, is a subsidiary of RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:RMAX). With
a passion for the communities in which its agents live and work, RE/MAX is proud to have raised more
than $150 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® and other charities. For more information
about RE/MAX, to search home listings or find an agent in your community, please visit www.remax.ca.
About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey
League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 17
located in Western Canada and five in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey
League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years.
The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 350 graduates each year receiving
WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also
form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.
About The Kidney Foundation of Canada
The Kidney Foundation of Canada is the national volunteer organization committed to eliminating the
burden of kidney disease through: funding innovative research; providing education and support to
prevent kidney disease; advocating for improved access to high quality healthcare; and increasing public
awareness and commitment to advancing kidney health and organ donation. Since 1964, The Kidney
Foundation of Canada has contributed over $123 million to medical research focused on better
treatments and a cure for kidney disease.
