TORONTO, Ontario, March 9, 2004 . . . Late last year, the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating (CIPH) kicked off its current fundraising campaign on behalf of Habitat for Humanity Canada (HFHC) with a goal to raise a minimum of $550,000 in cash and products.

Charity Committee Chairman Kenneth Webster (Viessmann Manufacturing) announced last week that the Association and its members have raised a record-breaking $782,872 in the 2004/2005 campaign! The CIPH is one of HFHC’s top corporate donors. From 1994 to today, CIPH members have contributed in excess of $1.7 million in cash and products to Habitat for Humanity Canada and helped more than 500 Canadian families move into their own homes across the country. The current campaign brings that total to $2,500,235.

Mr. Webster made the announcement at the CIPH Gala in support of Habitat for Humanity Canada on Friday, March 5th at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto last week.

The Gala was held in conjunction with Focus - CIPHEX Ontario 2004, the premier trade show and conference for the plumbing, hydronic heating, HVAC and water quality industries. Focus - CIPHEX Ontario 2004 featured 275 exhibit booths and attracted more than 5,600 contractors, wholesalers, specifiers, interior designers, kitchen and bath designers, architects, building owners and managers, engineers / technologists, builders / renovators, and government and municipal representatives involved in the sale of plumbing, piping, hydronics, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, water treatment systems, kitchen and bath products, valves and fittings, fire protection, tools and equipment, and software solutions.

Information on donating to Habitat for Humanity Canada through CIPH and the Gala Evening are available on the Habitat for Humanity section of the CIPH web site at www.ciph.com.

Information on Focus - CIPHEX Ontario 2004 is on the web site at: www.focus2004.ca

CIPH/Habitat 2004/2005 Major Donors

The Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating is a trade that has represented Canada's plumbing and hydronic heating industry for more than 70 years. Members include manufacturers, wholesaler distributors, master distributors, manufacturers’ agents and allied companies who manufacture and distribute plumbing, hydronic heating, industrial, waterworks and other mechanical products. CIPH represents 85 percent of Canada’s plumbing and heating wholesaler distributors and manufacturer’s agents. The wholesalers operate more than 600 warehouses and showrooms across Canada. Association members directly employ more than 10,000 Canadians and total industry sales exceed $3 billion annually. The CIPH has been producing trade shows since 1972 and launched the CIPHEX shows in 1983.

Habitat for Humanity is an independent, non-profit housing program dedicated to the elimination of substandard and poverty housing by building homes in partnership with families in need. The ministry of Habitat is to provide simple, decent, affordable housing to those who would not qualify or be able to afford a conventional mortgage. The Habitat program is about home ownership, a long-term solution designed to break the poverty cycle.

Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1976, and has built more than 150,000 homes in 92 countries around the world. Habitat for Humanity Canada was founded in 1985, and has built over 700 homes to date. There are 61 Canadian affiliates in all 10 provinces, 15 Campus Chapters and 30 ReStores.



Contact: Linda Jones
Habitat for Humanity Canada
519-885-4565 ext 220
ljones@habitat.ca