CALGARY, ALBERTA–(Marketwired – June 27, 2017) – Shaw Communications Inc. today announced it would grant a total of $75,000 to recognize 50 outstanding Canadians for their work to support children and youth across Canada.
In celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary, each of the Shaw Outstanding Canadians will receive a $1,500 grant to support a charitable organization of their choice. The 50 recipients were chosen following a call for nominations from October 2016 to February 2017 as part of Shaw’s Canada 150 initiative.
“There are so many incredible Canadians who work tirelessly to make our country the best place possible for our kids and youth,” said Brad Shaw, Chief Executive Officer, Shaw Communications. “We are a proudly Canadian company, and on behalf of our family and thousands of employees and their families across the country, we are honoured to support these 50 individuals who remind us how inspirational and selfless Canadians can be.”
The Shaw Outstanding Canadians program is part of Shaw’s Canada 150 initiative. Supported by the Shaw Kids Investment Program (SKIP), Shaw is granting a total of 150 wishes by giving monetary gifts to support the people and organizations who are doing exceptional work to improve the lives of children and youth in Canadian communities.
The list of Shaw Outstanding Canadians includes:
- Seventeen recipients from British Columbia, 17 from Alberta, and nine from Ontario.
- A seven-year-old boy from Blackfalds, AB who raises funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities®.
- A man pushing a shopping cart across Canada to raise awareness for youth homelessness.
The 50 grants provided to outstanding Canadians, combined with support for 40 leading Canadian charitable organizations and 60 sesquicentennial-focused community events, adds up to 150 wishes granted by Shaw in honour of our nation’s anniversary.
A full list of the Shaw Outstanding Canadians, including their stories, can be found at shaw.ca/OutstandingCanadians.
A snapshot of the stories includes:
- Ibrahim Musa, Ottawa, ON – Cuts For Kids Foundation
Ibrahim Musa immigrated to Canada from Iraq at the age of four. Growing up in a low-income community, he saw at a young age how necessary community support and services can be for underserved youth. At 17, Ibrahim began his own charity, the Cuts For Kids Foundation, which offers professional haircuts to youth from underserved families. Through Cuts For Kids, Ibrahim provides a unique service that many families cannot afford to give their kids. - Joe Roberts, Vancouver, BC – The Push for Change
In 1989, Joe Roberts was homeless and living under a bridge. Today he is an advocate, author and Executive Director of The Push for Change (PFC). Through PFC, Joe is currently walking across Canada pushing a shopping cart to raise awareness and money to prevent youth homelessness in Canada. Joe started his 24-kilometre-a-day walk on May 1, 2016 in St. John’s, NL and will finish on September 30, 2017 in Vancouver, BC. - Haylen Astalos, Blackfalds, AB – Ronald McDonald House Charities® Central Alberta
Seven-year-old Haylen Astalos has been a donor of Ronald McDonald House Charities® Central Alberta since 2014, having raised $14,000 to date. Haylen began raising funds when he was only five years old when he asked friends and family to bring two $5 bills in lieu of gifts to his birthday party – one for him and one for his charity of choice. Haylen decided to give to Ronald McDonald House because he “wanted to help all the sick kids in the world”. After making this donation, with the help of his parents, Haylen built an ice cream stand and quickly raised $200 selling ice cream. Now, Haylen sets fundraising goals for himself with the help of community businesses who allow him to sell ice cream to their customers. - Brandon Murdock, Winnipeg, MB – Bear Clan Patrol Inc.
Brandon Murdock is a 22-year-old from the Fisher River Cree Nation in Manitoba. The youngest member of his family, Brandon became the first of five children to graduate high school and is the first in his family to attend university, in part due to the support he received through Pathways to Education. Brandon is now a full-time academic facilitator at CEDA Pathways, a dedicated basketball coach and a member of the 4Rs Youth Movement, whose goal is to bridge the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada. - Adrian Bercovici, Montreal, QC – Generations Foundation
Adrian Bercovici launched the Generations Foundation from the basement of his family home in 1999. The charity introduces food programs in schools to provide children the necessary nutrition they need to be successful and more self-sufficient. Under Adrian’s direction, the Foundation provides breakfast, hot lunch and a daily snack without charge for over 8,500 school children in 110 schools and learning centers in Montreal and the surrounding area. Each year the Foundation sends hundreds of children to summer camp, awards laptop computers to community-minded graduating students and distributes new toys to children for the holidays along with food baskets to families. - Sutton Garner, Calgary, AB – I Can for Kids Foundation
In 2015, at 11 years old, Sutton Garner learned that thousands of kids in Calgary who count on school nutrition programs during the school year don’t have the same access to free meals during the summer. With the help of her mother, Sutton founded the I Can for Kids Foundation which helps kids in Calgary get the nutrition they need to learn, play and grow over the summer so they can have a healthy start to their school year. In 2016, Sutton and her team delivered 30,000 meals to hungry kids across the city, over triple from the previous year. - Glori Meldrum, Edmonton, AB – Little Warriors
Glori Meldrum is a passionate advocate for the awareness, prevention and treatment of child sexual abuse. In 2008, she founded Little Warriors, which has since educated over 20,000 people to help prevent child sexual abuse. In October 2014, the ‘Little Warriors Be Brave Ranch’ opened its doors and welcomed the first cohort of children to begin receiving treatment. Since that time, over 60 children have completed a full year of treatment and are showing improvements with depression, anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, attachment behaviours, self-esteem, healthy peer interactions, and their ability to trust adults. - Daniel Reaveley, Coquitlam, B.C. – Charlene Reaveley Children’s Charity
In February 2011, Daniel Reaveley’s wife Charlene was struck and killed by a drunk driver in a hit-and-run accident. At age 29, Dan was left a widower, raising their four young children, ages two to 10, alone. Dan quickly realized how little support there was in the community for families experiencing the loss of a loved one. Within several months of the accident, he had started the Charlene Reaveley Children’s Charity, an organization that provides support and assistance to children and their families who are experiencing the loss of a loved one.
The 50 Shaw Outstanding Canadians and the organizations they are supporting include:
| Haylen Astalos, Blackfalds, AB – Ronald McDonald House Charities Southern & Central Alberta |
| Tyler Barnes, Nanaimo, BC – Nanaimo Youth Services Association |
| Adrian Bercovici, Montreal, QC – Generations Foundation |
| Brad Bowden, Barrie, ON – All Sports All People |
| Paul Butler, North Vancouver, BC – Hollyburn Family Services Society |
| Joe Calendino, Vancouver, BC – Yo Bro Yo Girl Youth Initiative |
| Christian Cañas, Calgary, AB – Hope in the Dark |
| Chris Case, Victoria, BC – Power To Be Adventure Therapy Society |
| Chris Cederstrand, Okotoks, AB – KidSport Calgary |
| Raz Chan, Burnaby, BC – Twelfth Avenue Elementary |
| Ashley Chapman, Calgary, AB – SIDS Calgary Society |
| Patti Foulon, Cochrane, AB – Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta |
| Sutton Garner, Calgary, AB – I Can for Kids Foundation |
| Tito Gomez, Calgary, AB – First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada |
| Mary Gordon, Toronto, ON – Roots of Empathy |
| Julie Hamilton, Calgary, AB – Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada |
| Cheryl Heidt, Armstrong, BC – Enderby Preschool Society |
| Cassandra Hill, Calgary, AB – Parks Foundation Calgary |
| Makena Hind, Calgary, AB – Calgary Swims for Lunch Foundation |
| Joan Holland, Calgary, AB – Ronald McDonald House Charities Southern & Central Alberta |
| Pauline Idagai, Gatineau, QC – Mouvement d’entraide communautaire à l’emploi inc. |
| Natasha Kostenuk, Calgary, AB – Calgary Apraxia Parent Exchange |
| Tysen Lefebvre, Stittsville, ON – Make a Wish of Eastern Ontario |
| Meaghan Marton, Amherstburg, ON – Motivate Canada |
| Glori Meldrum, Edmonton, AB – Little Warriors |
| Shazzaneiy Mohamed Nalir, Toronto, ON – SOS Children’s Villages Canada and Regent Park Community Health Centre |
| Elsie Morden, Port Williams, NS – No Time for That Anti-Bullying Society |
| Carmen Moreira, Castlegar, BC – SQx Danza |
| Brandon Murdock, Winnipeg, MB – Bear Clan Patrol Inc |
| Ibrahim Musa, Ottawa, ON – Cuts For Kids Foundation |
| Ermias Nagatu, Toronto, ON – Charlie’s Freewheels |
| Erin and Tom Osterberg, Mission, BC – Blessings in a Backpack |
| Jean-Yves Phaneuf, Granby, QC – Fondation Soccer Jean-Yves Phaneuf |
| Daniel Reaveley, Coquitlam, BC – Charlene Reaveley Children’s Charity |
| Joe Roberts, Vancouver, BC – The Push for Change Foundation |
| Debbie Roman, Winnipeg, MB – Kids Help Phone |
| Rob Ross, Surrey, BC – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Langley |
| Michelle Salt, Calgary, AB – Classroom Champions |
| Aidan Scott, New Westminster, BC – Kids Help Phone |
| Dale Sewers, Calgary, AB – Ronald McDonald House Charities Southern & Central Alberta |
| Hamshaa Sivaruban, Toronto, ON – Yonge Street Mission |
| Robyn Thiessen, Abbotsford, BC – Classroom Champions |
| Margaret Thompson, Winnipeg, MB – NorWest Co-op Community Food Centre |
| Laurie Thompson, Lac la Biche, AB – Kikino Community Activities Society |
| Peter Wanyenya, Vancouver, BC – Regent Park Film Festival |
| Tom Warshawski, Kelowna, BC – Childhood Obesity Foundation |
| Sandra Webster-Worthy, Victoria, BC – PACE Musical Theatre Program |
| Noel Wentworth, Kelowna, BC – Kelowna General Hospital Foundation |
| Sarah Winstanley, Calgary, AB – Calgary Women’s Centre |
| Brennan Wong, Richmond Hill, ON – MediaSmarts |
About Shaw Communications
Shaw Communications Inc. is an enhanced connectivity provider. Our Consumer division serves consumers with broadband Internet, Shaw Go WiFi, video and digital phone. Our Wireless division provides wireless voice and data services through an expanding and improving mobile wireless network infrastructure. The Business Network Services division provides business customers with Internet, data, WiFi, telephony and video. The Business Infrastructure Services division, through ViaWest, provides hybrid IT solutions including colocation, cloud computing and security and compliance for North American enterprises.
Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (TSX:SJR.B) (TSX:SJR.PR.A) (TSX:SJR.PR.B) (NYSE:SJR) (TSX VENTURE:SJR.A). For more information, please visit www.shaw.ca.
Shaw Communications Inc.
Chethan Lakshman
VP, External Affairs
(403) 930-8448
[email protected]
