A Syncrude news and community update

Helping to transform communities

Syncrude has donated over $16 million over the last five years to a variety of community initiatives, including healthcare institutions such as the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation.

A ray of light may provide a pleasant glow, but if you focus that light, it can become a laser beam; a precise and powerful tool capable of extraordinary change.

Syncrude is aiming to create just such an instrument of change by refocusing its community investment program.

“We’ve always recognized that strong companies need to operate in strong communities, and that recognition has resulted in more than $16 million of corporate donations over the last five years,” says Kara Flynn, Manager, Public Affairs. “But we believe a rapidly growing province, with its associated challenges and opportunities, requires us to focus our community investment dollars in areas that will have the greatest and most positive impact.”

The term strategic philanthropy is permeating some of the most influential board rooms around the globe and there is a reason for that. Aligning a business’s objectives with its community investment programs can give organizations the power to serve and transform communities in a meaningful way.

“We will aim to support science and technology, environmental initiatives and educational programs that focus on building capacity in our young people so that they can take advantage of the opportunities presented by Alberta’s strong economy,” says Kara. “We will also support health initiatives that will enhance Edmonton’s capacity to serve the health needs of people from across the Capital region and northern Alberta including our employees and their families.”

Syncrude's support of the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation, for example, has had a tremendous impact in terms of enhancing patient care, says Foundation president and CEO Andrew Otway.

“Syncrude's most recent gift is in support of cardiology and will allow for enhancements in a new and innovative catheter lab where cardiologists are helping many patients avoid open-heart surgeries through a new procedure called radial angioplasty,” says Andrew. “A procedure that was pioneered at the Royal Alexandra, this innovative method of repairing the heart allows physicians to access intricate muscles and valves of the heart through a patient’s wrist. The advantages are reduced bleeding complications, quicker recovery and much shorter hospital stays. When companies like Syncrude invest in the community through the support of new and innovative healthcare projects, the benefits are far reaching and impact generations of patients in myriads of ways.”

While it’s always difficult to turn down any organization that needs funding, Kara says at Syncrude, the belief is that the strategy will allow Syncrude and the organizations it supports to realize common goals and truly make a lasting impact in key areas.

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