American Heart Association makes donating easy. Shop online; donate for free.

PRLog (Press Release) - Dec 18, 2009 -
The American Heart Association has managed to give holiday shopping a philanthropic twist — allowing shoppers to fight heart disease and stroke whenever they shop online at nearly 1,000 merchants.

Thanks to a partnership with We-Care.com, the American Heart Association has launched the We-Care Reminder, a free downloadable tool. Whenever supporters visit one of the participating merchants, the Reminder ensures a percentage of the purchase is donated — without costing an extra penny. The donations support vital research to beat the nation’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers.

“The We-Care Reminder pops up whenever I go shopping at a participating merchant and reminds me that I can be supporting my cause simply by shopping,” said Helaine Baruch, Senior Vice President, New York City, American Heart Association. “It’s easy and free to use for both us and our supporters.”

“I’m personally very excited about this partnership,” said Bill Snyder, General Manager, We-Care.com “My grandfather died of a heart attack when my mother was 10, so I never got to meet him. At the time, there simply wasn’t adequate treatment. In contrast, my stepfather had a heart attack at 40. Thirty years later, he’s in great health and an important part of my life. Huge strides have been made, but we have even further to go.”

Supporters can get the reminder by visiting http://americanheart.We-Care.com/start. It takes less than a minute to install; then you forget about it. When you visit one of the participating merchants the We-Care Reminder will ask the shopper’s permission to ensure a percentage of the purchase about to be made becomes a donation . Shoppers get to feel even better about their holiday gifts knowing they are supporting crucial work to fight heart disease and stroke. The Reminder also works for office shopping, travel-purchases and much more.

“This is probably the easiest way to support the American Heart Association,” Snyder said. “Once it’s installed, the Reminder keeps giving year-round. It turns the gifts you’re already giving into life-saving donations.”

For more information on the We-Care Reminder, please visit http://americanheart.We-Care.com/start.

About the American Heart Association
Founded in 1924, we’re the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke.  To help prevent, treat and defeat these diseases — America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers — we fund cutting-edge research, conduct lifesaving public and professional educational programs, and advocate to protect public health.  To learn more or join us in helping all Americans, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit americanheart.org.