Foresters and Ronald McDonald House Charities join together in support of families

Sponsorship to be celebrated through a month-long Facebook campaign

TORONTO, Sept. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - Foresters™, a life insurance provider committed to the well-being of families, has invested $100,000 in a new sponsorship with Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®), to help support programs that directly improve the health and happiness of children.

The Ronald McDonald House® program provides a "home-away-from-home" for families to stay close by their hospitalized child at little or no cost. The program allows families to stay together, helping their children heal faster and cope better.

Foresters has provided volunteer support to individual Ronald McDonald Houses across North America for the past decade, supporting thousands of children and their families. This new sponsorship will result in an even greater involvement from Foresters at local Ronald McDonald Houses and events through various programs.

"When children are seriously ill, they need Mom and Dad to be there for them.  I'm delighted Foresters can help keep families close together at a critical time through our sponsorship of Ronald McDonald House Charities.  It's a great way for us to demonstrate our commitment to family well-being," said George Mohacsi, Foresters President and CEO.

To celebrate, Foresters will give up to an additional $10,000 to RMHC in a month long Facebook campaign called "Foresters 4 Ronald McDonald House Charities." From September 6 to October 6, 2011, Foresters will donate $4 to Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) for every new user who likes the Foresters Facebook page. The online program will be promoted on Foresters and RMHC social media pages.

"We are very excited to join forces with Foresters on this initiative that encourages people to actively support both organizations," said Tim Kennedy, senior director, RMHC. "The families that rely on RMHC find strength from each other, staff, volunteers and supporters like Foresters, and we are grateful for their commitment."

About Foresters
Founded in 1874 as a fraternal benefit society, Foresters™ champions the well-being of families through quality life insurance, unique member benefits and inspiring community activities.  Foresters shares its financial strength with more than 835,000 members in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Unity Life of Canada¹, a wholly owned subsidiary of Foresters, represents Foresters in Canada. For more information, please visit, www.foresters.com.

Foresters™ the trade name and a trademark of The Independent Order of Foresters, a fraternal benefit society, 789 Don Mills Road, Toronto, Canada M3C 1T9; its subsidiaries are licensed to use this mark.

¹Unity Life of Canada, a Foresters company, is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Independent Order of Foresters

About Ronald McDonald House Charities

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. Through its global network of local Chapters in 53 countries and regions, its three core programs, the Ronald McDonald House®, Ronald McDonald Family Room® and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®, and millions of dollars in grants to support children's programs worldwide, RMHC provides stability and resources to families so they can get and keep their children healthy and happy. All RMHC-supported programs provide a bridge to quality health care and give children and families the time they need together to heal faster and cope better. For more information, www.rmhc.org or follow us on Twitter (@RMHC) and Facebook (Facebook.com/RMHC Global).

Ronald McDonald House Charities, RMHC, Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Family Room, and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile are all registered trademarks of McDonald's Corporation or its affiliates and are used with permission.

SOURCE Foresters