Boost for clubs, schools

DANDENONG schools and sporting clubs have received more than $195,000 under a community donations scheme by Ritchies Supa IGA supermarket.
The Dandenong supermarket this month revealed its Community Benefit Card scheme that sends a percentage of each purchase to a community group of the customer’s choice had raised more than $195,000.
More than a quarter of that figure has been raised over the past 12 months.
Top recipients of the scheme include Dandenong Hospital, which has received $46,357, Dandenong South Primary School with $22,948, and Dandenong High School with $10,000.
Dandenong Primary School has received $8223, and the Dandenong Demons Football Club $6460.
Ritchies chief executive officer Fred Harrison said Community Benefits donations in Dandenong were a credit to the IGA store’s customers. “When people really get behind their local community groups and nominate them for the Community Benefit Card, you can see just how much the benefit of the scheme flows into local life and activities,” he said.
“The Community Benefit Card is free to all Ritchies shoppers and automatically donates 1 per cent of the total sales each time a person shops at one of our 49 supermarkets and liquor stores.”