Local shoppers have given the Canadian Red Cross a significant boost.
The Memorial Avenue Wal-Mart store was given an award by the disaster relief organization Friday morning for raising the most money of all Wal-Mart stores in Canada during a summertime fundraising campaign.
The store raised more than $18,000, with all three local Wal-Marts raising almost $30,000.
The campaign raised $2.5 million in Canada - $900,000 of that was from Ontario.
"When you look at all the stores that are in Ontario, you realize there are a lot of Wal-Mart stores. Thunder Bay here stood head and shoulders above," said Robert Kilgour, district branch manager for the Canadian Red Cross.
Kilgour said this shows the growing relationship between the store and the Red Cross, as the organization has come to Wal-Mart for help in disasters like fires and floods.
"The great flood we had in 2012 and how they were active participants in helping to support people who were in need at the time - many were coming here with their vouchers for food and clothing," he said.
The money raised in the community stays in Thunder Bay and Kilgour said it goes to training volunteers and making sure they have the equipment they need.
"People are starting to see that in terms of disaster response it's not as simple as just going out. There's extensive training that needs to take place," he said.
Wal-Mart photo centre manager Lisa Skirving said it felt great to be the top fundraising store in the country.
Employees raised the money through barbeques and by asking customers at the register to donate to the Red Cross.
"It's actually an amazing feeling anyways to raise money no matter where you place within all the stores. Just to be able to help out the families ... It's a great feeling to be able to help them," she said.
