TELUS Celebration of Giving honours Victoria charities

More than 230 Victoria charities receive more than $1.72 million from TELUS and its team members this year

Victoria, B.C. – TELUS is bringing Victoria community and business leaders together today to celebrate more than $1.72 million TELUS and its employees have raised for Victoria community organizations this year. At tonight’s annual TELUS Celebration of Giving, the focus will be on the amazing people and the organizations who work tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of those in Vancouver Island communities who need help the most.

“TELUS has a promise to give where we live, and our Celebration of Giving is an opportunity for us to honour the many non-profit organizations that help us to fulfill that promise,” said Mel Cooper, Chair of the TELUS Victoria Community Board. “The important work that our community partners do here in Victoria makes a big impact on so many lives and has not gone unnoticed. It is greatly appreciated and TELUS thanks them from the bottom of our hearts.”

Through several programs, TELUS is giving more than $1.72 million to local charities and non-profit organizations in Victoria in 2010. Those programs include the TELUS Victoria Community Board, TELUS Employee Charitable Giving, TELUS Community Ambassadors, local corporate donations and sponsorships.

Nearly 50 local community groups attending this evening’s celebration are being recognized for their dedicated service to the community including the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children, BC Families in Transition, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Victoria, and the Victoria Conservatory of Music.

Since 2000, TELUS, its team members and retirees have contributed $80 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered two million hours of service to local communities in B.C.

About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $9.7 billion of annual revenue and 12.1 million customer connections including 6.9 million wireless subscribers, 3.8 million wireline network access lines and 1.2 million Internet subscribers and 266,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video.

In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed $185 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 3.5 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Nine TELUS Community Boards across Canada lead TELUS’ local philanthropic initiatives. TELUS was honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious international recognition.

For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.