Fontana grants wishes with annual Wishing Tree initiative

Over the years, the annual Fontana Wishing Tree initiative has spread Christmas cheer to thousands of children across the island. This year was no different, as the pharmacy chain stepped in again to bring joy to more than 150 children islandwide.

Launched in 2016, the initiative focuses on giving back to various children’s homes with the help of customers, to ensure that the children are not left out of the Christmas festivities, despite their circumstances. The initiative allowed customers to choose a child’s name from one of the homes and a gift for that child from the Christmas Wishing Tree in the store. Following the gift selection, each customer received a 20 per cent discount for the chosen item, and the purchased gift was then left at the store for the official handover.

The beneficiaries of this year’s initiative included the Savanna-la-Mar Paediatric Ward in Westmoreland, Blessed Assurance Children’s Home in St James, Sophie’s Place in Kingston, Mary Child’s Home in Kingston, Mount Olivet Boys’ Home in Manchester, the Pringle Home for Children in St Ann, and Strathmore Gardens Children’s Home in St Catherine.

Fontana’s Outreach and PR Coordinator Morgan Binger highlighted how impactful the initiative has been for the children. She expressed the view that “Serving others and their community is a core part of who we are and everything that we stand for. This is just one way we show our commitment. I am already excited to do it again next year. This initiative has been one of my favourites, and the most exciting part about it is seeing the children’s gratitude for their gifts.”

Maintaining its commitment to philanthropy, Fontana will host its Barbican Treat in early January. Scheduled for New Year’s Day, this event will collaborate with diverse organisations to contribute vital resources, including food items and other supplies. These resources will be thoughtfully packaged and distributed to community members.

Fontana Marketing Manager Stephanie Smith shared, “The Barbican Treat is something that we do annually. Our aim is to foster a spirit of unity and generosity. We also hope that, through this initiative, we can inspire other people to give back and look out for one another in their community. We are thrilled to see how it all comes together.”

With the help of customers and other stakeholders, the pharmacy chain has given gifts valued over $500,000 to children islandwide, and aims to give back more than $200,000 worth of resources to the Barbican community.