BOUCHERVILLE, QUEBEC, Mar 05, 2010 -- RONA inc. , the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products, announced a new partnership with the Canadian Women's Foundation and the Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC), to help female victims of domestic violence re-establish their independence and rebuild their lives. To highlight this commitment, RONA is launching a fundraising campaign at all RONA stores across the country, backed by a commitment to match the donated funds with labour and building materials to renovate women's shelters.

The "Help us rebuild lives and end domestic violence" fundraising campaign will be launched on March 8, 2010 to help victims of domestic violence that have left abusive situations and are working toward independence, and to help their children too. The campaign will continue until April 4, 2010 in all RONA stores from coast to coast. For every dollar its customers donate to the Canadian Women's Foundation, RONA will donate the equivalent in labour and building materials to renovate women's shelters that house female victims of domestic violence. RONA's goal is to raise $100,000.

"On this 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, we are proud to be associated with an organization that works every day to help women facing serious challenges and give them a second chance," said RONA president and CEO Robert Dutton. "We have a special place in our hearts for helping to rebuild lives. For more than 10 years the RONA Foundation has helped struggling young people build their future. Supporting the Canadian Women's Foundation reinforces the role our company plays in society by giving these women an opportunity to rebuild their lives, not only for themselves but for their children as well."

"Every year in Canada up to 360,000 children witness violence in the home and nearly 100,000 women and children seek refuge in a shelter," says Beverley Wybrow, President and CEO of the Canadian Women's Foundation. "Together with RONA and its customers, we are providing real hope for women, children and entire communities from coast to coast."

"With the help of our customers, RONA will make a difference by providing labour and building materials to renovate centres that shelter abused women," said RONA executive vice president of marketing and customer innovations Claude Bernier. "As a leading home improvement retailer in Canada, we're proud to help make these shelters comfortable and hospitable for the women and children who take refuge there."

Money raised will support innovative programs funded by the Canadian Women's Foundation that provide shelter to women fleeing abuse, teach young people about healthy relationships, support children who have witnessed abuse, and rebuild the lives of women and children after they have experienced violence. RONA will provide the labour and building materials for a number of shelter renovation projects across the country and CAWIC will provide project management support.

The fundraising efforts will be supported by an advertising campaign consisting of a TV message and in-store signage. The campaign was produced by the BOS agency, RONA's marketing partner, in collaboration with Carat, RONA's media planning partner. Starting on March 8, 2010, RONA customers will also be invited to visit www.rona.ca/women to learn more about the campaign and make a donation online.

About RONA

RONA is the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products. RONA operates a network of close to 700 corporate, franchise and affiliate stores of various sizes and formats. With nearly 30,000 employees working under its family of banners in every region of Canada and more than 16 million square feet of retail space, the RONA store network generates over $6 billion in annual retail sales. Please visit rona.ca.

About the Canadian Women's Foundation

The Canadian Women's Foundation (CWF) is Canada's only national public foundation dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls. CWF researches, shares and funds the most promising approaches to ending violence against women, moving low-income women out of poverty, and empowering girls with confidence, courage and critical thinking skills. Ranked as on of the ten largest women's foundations in the world, the Canadian Women's Foundation has funded nearly 1000 initiatives in every province and territory since 1991. Learn more at www.canadianwomen.org.

About the Canadian Association of Women in Construction

CAWIC's mandate is to facilitate the success of women in the construction industry through a variety of services including a bursary program, tours and workshops, mentoring programs, and networking opportunities. CAWIC's members represent the entire spectrum of the industry including contracting, architecture, engineering, interior design, facilities management, and the trades. For more information please visit www.cawic.ca.

Contacts:
RONA
Media: Julie Seidel
Director, External Communications
514-599-5114
julie.seidel@rona.ca

Financial Community
Stephane Milot
Senior Director, Investor Relations
514-599-5951
stephane.milot@rona.ca

Canadian Women's Foundation
Sarah Ruddle
Director, Marketing and Communications
416-619-9234
sruddle@canadianwomen.org

Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC)
Nancy Sendell
Director
647-213-1788