This morning the eBucks volunteers ensured that all the dogs at the Friends of Rescued Animals (FORA) shelter in Roodepoort will have full bellies for the rest of the winter, when they dropped off more than 900 tins of dog food, bags of pellets and cosy blankets. The team spent some quality time playing with the animals and walking the dogs.The eBucks volunteers built a tower of dog food at their eBucks headquarters in Johannesburg over a few months as part of their winter CSI drive. They had identified dog food as the most critical item on FORA's requirement list, and came up with exciting ways to encourage each other to donate food and money to the drive. These included initiatives such as voluntary cover charges in the form of dog food to internal events, coinage drives and raffle collections.

eBucks is the award-winning multi-partner loyalty programme offered by FNB and RMB Private Bank, and FNB as part of the FirstRand Group generously matched the money raised by the team to increase the amount of dog food donated.

"At eBucks we are passionate about making a real difference in people's lives, by allowing them to stretch their Rands to buy everyday necessities or more extravagant treats. As a team, we wanted to channel this passion to our wider community and provide some relief to the rescued dogs living at FORA," said Jolandé Duvenage, eBucks CEO.

"We are extremely grateful to eBucks and FNB for this generous contribution," said Francois van Heerden, Kennel Manager at FORA. "Times are tough for everyone, and it is immensely rewarding to see that people are supporting our animals."

FORA (www.fora.org.za), is a pro-life animal shelter based in Luipaardsvlei on the West Rand. It is a registered non-profit organisation which aims to rescue unwanted, homeless and ill-treated cats and dogs and provide a safe and caring environment for them until they can find suitable homes.

About eBucks:

eBucks, the rewards programme offered by First National Bank (FNB) and RMB Private Bank, is acknowledged as one of South Africa's leading rewards programmes with highly active members spending in excess of 80% of the eBucks earned in any given month.