Two local business giants have given new meaning to corporate citizenship by creatively raising nearly $100, 000 dollars for local charities.
Giant Food Stores and OnePoint started raising the money since the 2013 holiday season, thanks to sales of local "-Opoly" board games at 80 area Giant stores.
The games are tailored to various localities like Bucks County-Oopoly, Hazelton-Opoly, Lehigh Valley-Opoly and Philly-Opoly games.
Giant Food Stores also made a donation to the supported charities which included The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, HealthLink Medical Center, Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, PBS39, and the Greater Hazelton Chamber of Commerce.
Serena Corrigan, marketing manager for Giant Food Stores said in a release that "Giant is proud to live and give in each of the local communities we serve. There is no better way to showcase the uniqueness of each individual community than with these -Opoly games," Corrigan said.
The games feature local attractions, businesses and streets, and players could buy and collect them in a classic real estate trading format.
The Philadelphia version for instance boasts the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and Eastern State Penitentiary while the Lehigh Valley version highlights Peeps-shaped game pieces along with the Lehigh Valley Zoo, Crayola Experience and Dorney Park.
"The idea for the regional games came after OnePoint launched Scranton-Opoly and raised over $35,000," said OnePoint promotional products manager, Bernie Maopolski.
The Hazelton Giant became interested in a Hazelton version of the game and the partnership between the regional supermarket chain and OnePoint began.
"We would have never been able to launch this fundraiser without Giant," said Maopolski
Money raised from the Philadelphia locations is specifically funding the new Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care to be opened by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
The center will be the nation's foremost state-of-the-art outpatient pediatric facility and a hub for comprehensive medical care.
Both one point and Giant plan to continue the charitable tradition through the 2014 holiday season.
Copies of the games are also available online at Phillyopoly.com, buckscountyopoly.com, mcall.com and hazeltonchamber.org