Zorich Group, the proudly family-owned and run parent company of the popular South Australian Sportspower, JT Surf and Rivalry Urbanwear stores, has a very personal reason to support HRI.
A very personal connection
Kathy Ahwan manages Zorich Group’s accounts. Her son Tim passed away suddenly in September 2014 from arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle that affects the ability of the heart to pump an adequate supply of blood around the body. Tim was healthy with no history of heart disease. He left behind his partner and two young sons.
Kathy’s family tragedy shocked everyone at Zorich Group, and the business was keen to help. They adopted HRI as their charity of choice for the month of September – to coincide with the anniversary of Tim’s death, and World Heart Day.
In-store awareness and fundraising
Since then, Zorich Group has raised over $17,500 by selling the $1 ‘Zorich Group Charity Bag’ across their 16 stores. Customers are given the chance to buy the reusable bag at till-point to carry their purchases home, and the full $1 is donated to HRI. Frontline retail staff talk to customers about the HRI, in turn raising vital awareness.
Alongside the charity bags, Zorich Group has also run a ‘Ride 4 Research’ event, challenging customers to jump on a stationary bike in store and see how far they can pedal in a minute in return for a gold coin donation. As well as raising funds, this great event gets an extra minute of high-intensity exercise into their customers’ days – a great way to protect against heart disease.
Zorich Group has also supported HRI’s campaign to raise awareness of atrial fibrillation (a common heart condition characterised by an irregular heartbeat which can be a risk factor for stroke) by disseminating pulse check cards and other HRI resources to customers.