Cameco has announced $1.8 million in funding for community initiatives in the province.

The uranium company’s CEO Time Gitzel made the announcement at Cameco’s head office in Saskatoon Tuesday morning.

“It’s been a great year for us,” said Gitzel when speaking on Cameco’s 35th anniversary. “We are proud to he here in Saskatchewan and be headquartered here in Saskatchewan… this is a really big day for us and we want to show our gratitude by giving back.”

The bulk of the funding for the donations comes from Cameco’s Step Up walk for mental health along with employee donations that were matched by the company.

$700,000 was donated through the Step Up walk with another $700,000 made available through the Cameco Employee Giving Campaign. This campaign saw Cameco match charitable donations made by its employees to the charity of their choice.

In addition Cameco is also donating $250,000 to the YWCA and another $150,000 to the Meewasin Valley Authority.

Gitzel says the uranium market has been favourable for the company over the past years allowing them to give back to the community in a greater way.

“We want to give back to our communities and help those who need a hand and may be hurting, we want to make a difference” said Gitzel. “We have always asked our people to step up and make a difference in their communities, it is in our DNA.”

Nearly 200 different organizations will receive donations including 24 organizations devoted to mental health initiatives.