First Book Canada and TELUS Toronto Community Board deliver more than 30,000 new books headed to children across the Greater Toronto Area

TORONTO, May 17, 2012 /CNW/ - Today, TELUS and First Book Canada announced they will deliver more than 30,000 new age-appropriate books to approximately 50 schools and programs across the Greater Toronto Area through the TELUS TERRIFIC TALES program. Deliveries will begin at North Kipling Junior Middle School in Etobicoke and will continue until June 25. First Book Canada is able to deliver books to these schools thanks to a generous $20,000 contribution from the TELUS Toronto Community Board.

Since 2009, First Book Canada has distributed more than 300,000 new books to programs serving children in need, and plans to expand deliveries dramatically this year. All the books for this program were donated by Little Brown Books for Young Readers through Hachette Book Group Canada and Tundra Books.

"We are pleased to have the full support from TELUS to help us deliver these books to schools and community programs in the GTA. To be able to grant so many books for children to take home and keep just before the summer holidays begin is just thrilling" said Tom Best, executive director of First Book Canada." For many of these children these are truly the very first books they can call their own and will be the very start of their own library. We are grateful to the TELUS Toronto Community Board for their generous support and hope to duplicate the TELUS TERRIFIC TALES program in other cities across the country."

The TELUS TERRIFIC TALES program facilitates the delivery of books to schools across the Greater Toronto Area. Each school will host an assembly featuring local police officers and authors. Additionally, students will receive at least one new book each.

"Literacy is fundamental to every aspect of learning; therefore encouraging youth to enjoy reading at an early age allows them to grow as learners," said Hon. Frances Lankin, TELUS Toronto Community Board Chair. "We are pleased to support First Book Canada as it is such an inspiring program, which gives many youth the opportunity to own their first books and become passionate about reading."

Since its inception in 2005, the TELUS Toronto Community Board has contributed $4.5 million to Toronto charitable organizations and supported more than 260 community projects.

About First Book Canada
First Book Canada provides books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low income families across Canada. By making new, high quality books available on an ongoing basis, First Book Canada is transforming the lives of children and elevating the quality of education in Canada.

Since 2009 First Book Canada has distributed over 300,000 books to children in need across Canada. All funds raised in Canada go to programs serving Canadian children from low income families. For more information, or to sign up to get books, visit us at firstbookcanada.org and follow our latest news on Twitter.

About the TELUS Community Boards
TELUS Community Boards are an innovative model for funding youth-focused charities that delegates decision-making to local leaders who know their communities best. Eleven TELUS Community Boards are making a positive impact across Canada from coast-to-coast in Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Rimouski, Quebec City, Atlantic Canada and the most recently launched board in the Thompson Okanagan region of B.C. Since their inception in 2005, the Community Boards have contributed $30 million to grassroots charitable organizations and supported more than 2,300 community projects. The TELUS Community Boards and the meaningful difference they make significantly contributed to TELUS receiving the Association of Fundraising Professionals 2010 Freeman Philanthropic Services Award for the Most Outstanding Corporation globally. For more information about the TELUS Calgary Community Board or to apply for funding, please visit telus.com/community.

About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $10.5 billion of annual revenue and 12.7 million customer connections including 7.4 million wireless subscribers, 3.5 million wireline network access lines and 1.3 million Internet subscribers and more than 550,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video.

In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed more than $260 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 4.2 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Eleven 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.

Tom Best
Executive Director, First Book Canada
1-866-393-1222 ext. 0130
[email protected]

Emma Miller
TELUS Media Relations
647-464-6817
[email protected]