More than 6,500 civilian and military Canadian Forces employees handed over $607,000 to the United Way of Greater Victoria on Thursday.
The donation was a result of CFB Esquimalt's participation in the federal government's workplace charitable campaign, which began in September.
“Our organizers and volunteers did a fantastic job throughout this year’s campaign – there was great unit participation across the formation and a lot of excitement generated throughout,” Rear-Admiral Bill Truelove, commander of maritime forces pacific said in a statement.
More than 60 Department of National Defence units in the Capital Region took part in the campaign, which is annually one of the leading contributors to the United Way.
Each year, DND raises more than $500,000 for a wide range of registered charities under the United Way umbrella and accounts for 10 per cent of campaign funds, said local United Way CEO Linda Hughes.
“We are proud to say that since 1994, when we first started keeping electronic records, the military and civilian staff at CFB Esquimalt have raised over $8 million for our community," she said.
"This is a powerful testament to their commitment to build a strong community, move people from poverty to possibility and ensure kids get a strong start in life."
DND contributions were raised through a variety of events, including a recent exhibition hockey match with the Victoria Royals.
Nationally, the DND workplace fundraising campaign raised more than $32 million in support of United Way, Healthpartners and thousands of other registered Canadian charities.
Truelove said even more contributions are anticipated in the coming weeks.
To donate to the United Way campaign, visit uwgv.ca.
dpalmer@vicnews.com