From East Coast to West, Canada's Next Young Entrepreneurs want to Make their Mark

Six Finalists Chosen to Start Something with Alesse! Vote now for your Favourite Project to Help Make it a Reality

KIRKLAND, QC, Jan. 5, 2012 /CNW/ - This week, the Start Something with Alesse contest introduces the six top finalists who are demonstrating that not only are young Canadian adults our leaders of tomorrow, many of them are trying to make a difference to become the leaders of today.

Hundreds of Canadians entered projects in the hopes that they would get the chance to Start Something with Alesse. Ideas ranged from starting a new business or charity, to product creation, to community involvement initiatives. Last year's Start Something with Alesse contest winners, Sheyla Abdic of Ace One Tutors and Sedina Fiati of Cyclista, selected the six finalists, who are now in the running to receive mentoring and a $5000 grant in financial support.

"It was amazing to be a part of selecting the entries this year," says Sedina. "This contest really reflects the drive young Canadians have to make a difference in our country and in the world. I urge all Canadians to go online and vote for their favourite candidate - once per day - and give them the opportunity to get support that will help them get their project running."

Introducing the Finalists

Mecoh Bain and Love Floats: Random Acts of Kindness (Calgary, AB) - As someone who strives to embody the spirit of the likes of Princess Diana and her own grandmother, Mecoh's vision of an online portal that encourages people to engage in random acts of kindness shows the online generation how to use the web for good. As simple as buying someone a cup of coffee or leaving a positive note on a stranger's car, Love Floats: Random Acts of Kindness will be a place for people to post both stories of giving and receiving good deeds.

Johanna Craig and Hodgepodge Dolls (Toronto, ON) - As a girl who grew up in a single parent household, Johanna never felt that her definition of family was represented by toy companies. Through her creation of Hodgepodge Dolls, a line of dollhouse families that come in all shapes, sizes and colours, Johanna is showing this generation of children that the modern family, which comes in all forms, is something to celebrate.

Andréanne Paquet and Second Chance Evening Gowns (Quebec City, QC) - Prom is an exciting time in many young women's lives, but for some, buying the perfect dress is simply not affordable. By creating Second Chance Evening Gowns, Andréanne is giving young women the night they've always dreamed about while recycling gently used dresses and reselling them at affordable rates.

Alyssa Reid and Planet Pounds (Montreal, QC) - Over half of Canadians are overweight, while many go hungry in other parts of the world. With Alyssa's positive spirit and nutrition background, the mission of her program, Planet Pounds is to encourage Canadians to get healthy and lose weight while raising money to feed the world's malnourished.

Jesse Robson and Centre for Arts Exchange (Halifax, NS) - A young woman who believes in the power of community and strives for positive change, Jesse wants to create the Centre for Arts Exchange, ensuring the quality of life of seniors is enhanced by providing programs and services specifically designed for and run by seniors. The objective is to empower and engage seniors by creating a community in which they can participate and grow.

Sarah Thompson and Livesports: The Community Soccer Project (Vancouver, BC) -As an active member of the sports community in Vancouver, Sarah wants to launch Livesports: The Community Soccer Project. The project will be made up of a series of co-ed soccer leagues and tournaments that provide equal opportunity for people of all genders, ethnicities and income levels to participate in physical activity.

"It's now in the hands of Canadians to pick their favourite entry by voting on startsomethingwithalesse.ca," says Sheyla. "I've been in their position before, so I know how important it is for everyone to go online and vote for their favourite project! Remember votes can be made daily, so remember to vote often! "

From now until February 13, 2012, Canadians can visit www.startsomethingwithalesse.ca to vote once a day for their favourite project. Two winners will be selected based on public votes and will receive a $5,000 grant to get started with their winning project idea. In addition, winners will be assigned a mentor to help them make their project a reality.

For more details on these exciting project ideas and to vote for your favourite, log on to www.startsomethingwithalesse.ca today and follow the action on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/startsomethingwithalesse.

About Start Something with Alesse

Start Something with Alesse is a one-of-a-kind initiative empowering young Canadians to articulate their personal goals and receive mentoring and financial support to "start something" unique.

Entries were accepted from August 29, 2011 until October 31, 2011 at 11:59:59 PM. Upon receiving the creative and insightful entries, they were then judged based on the criteria listed in the official Rules and Regulations which can be found at www.startsomethingwithalesse.ca, and selected by Sheyla and Sedina.

The voting period begins on January 4, 2012 and will run for six weeks until February 13, 2012. Voting is limited to one vote per person per day. The two contest winners will be determined based on the number of votes received.

The official contest rules and regulations along with an overview of how to vote can be found at www.startsomethingwithalesse.ca.

About Pfizer in Canada

Every day, Pfizer Canada employees work to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. We apply science and our global resources to improve the health and well-being of Canadians at every stage of life.

Our commitment is reflected in everything we do, from our disease awareness initiatives to our community partnerships, to our belief that it takes more than medication to be truly healthy. To learn more about Pfizer's More Than Medication philosophy and programs, visit morethanmedication.ca. To learn more about Pfizer Canada, visit pfizer.ca.

Video with caption: "Video: Mecoh Bain, Love Floats: Random Acts of Kindness ". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20120105_C2018_VIDEO_EN_8643.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20120105_C2018_PHOTO_EN_8643.jpg&clientName=PFIZER%20CANADA%20INC%2E&caption=Video%3A%20Mecoh%20Bain%2C%20Love%20Floats%3A%20Random%20Acts%20of%20Kindness%20&title=Mecoh%20Bain%2C%20Love%20Floats%3A%20Random%20Acts%20of%20Kindness&headline=From%20East%20Coast%20to%20West%2C%20Canada%27s%20Next%20Young%20Entrepreneurs%20want%20to%20Make%20their%20Mark

Video with caption: "Video: Johanna Craig, Hodgepodge Dolls ". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20120105_C2018_VIDEO_EN_8644.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20120105_C2018_PHOTO_EN_8644.jpg&clientName=PFIZER%20CANADA%20INC%2E&caption=Video%3A%20Johanna%20Craig%2C%20Hodgepodge%20Dolls%20&title=Johanna%20Craig%2C%20Hodgepodge%20Dolls&headline=From%20East%20Coast%20to%20West%2C%20Canada%27s%20Next%20Young%20Entrepreneurs%20want%20to%20Make%20their%20Mark

Video with caption: "Video: Andréanne Paquet, Second Chance Evening Gowns ". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20120105_C2018_VIDEO_EN_8645.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20120105_C2018_PHOTO_EN_8645.jpg&clientName=PFIZER%20CANADA%20INC%2E&caption=Video%3A%20Andr%26%23233%3Banne%20Paquet%2C%20Second%20Chance%20Evening%20Gowns%20&title=Andr%26%23233%3Banne%20Paquet%2C%20Second%20Chance%20Evening%20Gowns&headline=From%20East%20Coast%20to%20West%2C%20Canada%27s%20Next%20Young%20Entrepreneurs%20want%20to%20Make%20their%20Mark

Video with caption: "Video: Alyssa Reid, Planet Pounds ". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20120105_C2018_VIDEO_EN_8646.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20120105_C2018_PHOTO_EN_8646.jpg&clientName=PFIZER%20CANADA%20INC%2E&caption=Video%3A%20Alyssa%20Reid%2C%20Planet%20Pounds%20&title=Alyssa%20Reid%2C%20Planet%20Pounds&headline=From%20East%20Coast%20to%20West%2C%20Canada%27s%20Next%20Young%20Entrepreneurs%20want%20to%20Make%20their%20Mark

Video with caption: "Video:Jesse Robson, Centre for Arts Exchange ". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20120105_C2018_VIDEO_EN_8647.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20120105_C2018_PHOTO_EN_8647.jpg&clientName=PFIZER%20CANADA%20INC%2E&caption=Video%3AJesse%20Robson%2C%20Centre%20for%20Arts%20Exchange%20&title=Jesse%20Robson%2C%20Centre%20for%20Arts%20Exchange&headline=From%20East%20Coast%20to%20West%2C%20Canada%27s%20Next%20Young%20Entrepreneurs%20want%20to%20Make%20their%20Mark

Video with caption: "Video: Sarah Thompson, Livesports: The Community Soccer Project". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20120105_C2018_VIDEO_EN_8648.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20120105_C2018_PHOTO_EN_8648.jpg&clientName=PFIZER%20CANADA%20INC%2E&caption=Video%3A%20Sarah%20Thompson%2C%20Livesports%3A%20The%20Community%20Soccer%20Project&title=Sarah%20Thompson%2C%20Livesports%3A%20The%20Community%20Soccer%20Project%20&headline=From%20East%20Coast%20to%20West%2C%20Canada%27s%20Next%20Young%20Entrepreneurs%20want%20to%20Make%20their%20Mark