Women from Monsanto Canada Running to Help Empower Girls and Women in the Developing World

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA--(Marketwire - March 26, 2012) - An innovative, passionate, driven group of women who work for Monsanto Canada Inc., and who care about their health and the health of women and girls in the developing world, have committed to complete the More^® Magazine/Fitness^® Magazine Women's Half Marathon in New York City on April 15, 2012 and to fundraise for Plan International's 'Because I am a Girl' campaign at the same time.

As a company previously selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers, Monsanto has been recognized as a great place to work. A key component of that culture includes the encouragement of work/life balance among all employees. This emphasis is what stemmed the creation of the 'Monsanto Chix' half marathon team of seven women - five of whom work for Monsanto Canada.

"As women in agriculture who care about our health and staying active, we wanted to select an event that shared that vision," explained Trish Meyers, an agronomist with Monsanto based in Saskatoon. "But we also saw this as an opportunity to support other girls and women so that's where the fundraising idea came in. We all thought it would be a great idea to leverage our passion to help other women and girls."

The Monsanto Chix marathon team decided to support Plan International's Because I am a Girl campaign - a program designed to empower girls and women to claim a brighter future in the developing world by helping to provide clean water, food security, health care and education. The team has set a goal to fundraise over $3,000 for Plan International. Currently the Monsanto Chix team is the No. 2 ranked fundraising team on the Because I am a Girl website.

"We are really inspired about the opportunity to help others," said Jenna Book, a marketing associate who works out of Monsanto Canada's Head office in Winnipeg. "Monsanto has been very supportive of our idea and through the company's Matching Gift Program in Canada, will match any donations we personally make up to a maximum of $500. We have also received excellent support and encouragement from our friends, family, and coworkers."

The More^® Magazine/Fitness^® Magazine Women's Half Marathon is an inspirational and well-organized event that brings many women together in a positive way. The Monsanto group chose this event because some of the team members had participated in the race before and all agreed that it would be both fun and challenging to run a half marathon.

Monsanto Canada team members include: Jenna Book, Arvel Lawson, Trish Meyers, Erin Romeo, and Andrea Webster. To track the progress of the Monsanto Chix efforts or support their cause, search for the Monsanto Chix fundraiser at www.becauseiamagirl.ca.

Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Monsanto Canada Inc. is part of the larger global Monsanto family. Monsanto Company is an agricultural company and a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality. Monsanto remains focused on enabling both small-holder and large-scale farmers to produce more from their land while conserving more of our world's natural resources such as water and energy. Learn more about our business and our commitments at www.monsanto.ca.