Accra, June 10, GNA - Ghana Commercial Bank Limited (GCB) on Tuesday presented GH¢49,651 cedis to 21 selected institutions and individuals to help them in the discharge of their duties to the society.

The presentation forms part of the company's social responsibility which aims at building closer relationships with its shareholders, customers and the general public based on distinctive ethical values. Mr. Lawrence Adu-Mante, Managing Director, GCB, said the donation came on the heels of the bank winning three awards at the recent Ghana Banking Award, among which was the Best Bank for Corporate Social Responsibility.

He noted that GCB over the years had assisted organizations and individuals that implemented social projects and programmes for the benefit of their institutions and the nation as a whole. Mr. Adu-Mante said the reason behind the company's social responsibility towards education, environment, sports development, health, tradition and culture was driven by the fact that as a true Ghanaian Bank, it was their duty to invest in social development. Quoting William Ford Jr., Chairman, Ford Motor Company, he said: "Social obligation is much bigger than supporting worthy causes," adding that this was what GCB sought to do.

He urged the recipients to use their money to improve upon the lives in their communities and the country as a whole. Institutions and individuals who received between 3,000 and 10,000 Ghana cedis include the Ghana Heart Foundation, Ghana Cricket Association, Ghana National Trust Fund, Ghana Society for the Physically Disabled, Parliamentary Press Corps, Life FM in Nkawkaw, Ghana Universities Sports Association and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial National Park. Ms. Anastasia Himans, Administrator of the Heart Foundation, who received the money on behalf of the Foundation thanked GCB for its kind gesture and expressed the hope that it would be repeated in the future. She said the aim of the Foundation was to carry out free heart surgeries but that was impossible due to lack of funds. She said the Foundation paid 50 per cent of the amount leaving the rest for the patient to foot. She appealed to other corporate institutions to emulate GCB's gesture for the foundation to live up to its promise of carrying out free surgeries. Mr. Prince Vanderpuye-Orgle, Chairman of the Ghana Cricket Association, thanked GCB on behalf of the other recipients.