Go Pink with TELUS to bring digital mammography to BC Women's Hospital &
Health Centre

Give the gift of health to women in your community with the purchase of a pink BlackBerry smartphone only from TELUS

VANCOUVER, May 10 /CNW/ - TELUS and BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre Foundation today announced the launch of a milestone campaign to make a 'pink' difference and bring digital mammography to BC Women's Breast Health Program. Between May 6 and October 31, 2010, TELUS will donate $25 to BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre Foundation for each purchase of a pink BlackBerry Curve 8530 or the upcoming pink BlackBerry Pearl 3G smartphone available only at TELUS. Digital mammography will enhance early detection of breast cancer for women and men in B.C.

Traditional mammogram X-rays do not penetrate dense breast tissue, making it more difficult to interpret results and detect tumours. Digital mammography equipment produces more accurate results with advanced capabilities to generate magnified images of breast tissue to help with the early detection of breast cancer. Access to this advanced digital equipment is limited. This campaign will help to bring vital equipment to BC Women's Breast Health Program and increase the chance of survival from this life-threatening disease.

The TELUS "Go Pink" campaign will fund tangible social outcomes that women and men will benefit from immediately. The coast-to-coast campaign is benefiting communities by funding innovative breast cancer technology in healthcare facilities across Canada, including: BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre Foundation, Alberta Cancer Foundation, Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, CancerCare Manitoba, Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation in Toronto, The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, Segal Cancer Center at the Montreal Jewish General Hospital and QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax.

"As a Canadian technology leader and a committed corporate citizen, TELUS recognizes the need to bring the latest technology to local healthcare providers in an effort to help with the early detection of breast cancer," said Jill Schnarr, vice-president, TELUS Community Investment. "As a woman and mother, I am so grateful that our TELUS team and our customers have an opportunity to give back in a meaningful way to help with the purchase of new digital mammography machines in our communities."

"Events such as TELUS' 'Go Pink' campaign don't just happen by themselves - this is the result of TELUS' continuing dedication to community support. I will be buying my pink phone to help bring better healthcare to all women in B.C. and because healthy women mean healthy families and healthy communities, I feel proud to count TELUS among BC Women's most loyal and committed supporters. So, thank you, TELUS, for the very positive difference you are making!" said Sarah Morgan-Silvester, Volunteer Board Chair for BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre Foundation.

"Next to non-melanoma skin cancer, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in Canadian women, and is the second leading cause of cancer death after lung cancer. One in nine Canadian women are expected to develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Early detection is crucial to saving lives," said Dr. Paula Gordon, Medical Director, Breast Health Program at BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority. "The first step for women over age 40, is annual screening mammography. At BC Women's, we do screening mammograms, plus all the tests that are necessary after an abnormal mammogram. We also teach other radiologists how to do these tests, so that women can have their investigations closer-to-home, and as quickly as possible. We see women from all over the lower mainland, and as far away as the Yukon. Through this program, TELUS is helping us to improve our screening technology and to deliver better results to the people of B.C."

TELUS has a proud history of supporting breast cancer research, awareness and detection through its support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation's TELUS Tours for the Cure, the Rethink Breast Cancer fundraising campaign, and donating $1 to the BC Cancer Foundation and Alberta Cancer Foundation for every long distance call made by TELUS landline customers on Mother's Day.

The BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone, for $49.99 on a three-year plan, and the BlackBerry Pearl 3G smartphone, coming soon for $29.99 on a three-year plan, are only available in pink from TELUS. For more information about the TELUS Go Pink campaign, please visit www.telus.com/pink.

About BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre Foundation

The Foundation is dedicated to raising sufficient funds to enable BC Women's to function as the leader in women's health. Donor support enables the Foundation to support programs at BC Women's that reflect the healthcare needs of women and their families. For more information on the Foundation please visit www.bcwomensfoundation.org

About BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre

BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority, is devoted to the health of women, newborns and families. Located in Vancouver, BC Women's provides a range of specialized, tertiary, and primary and secondary health services that address the needs of women of all ages and backgrounds. For more information on BC Women's please visit www.bcwomens.ca

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $9.6 billion of annual revenue and 11.9 million customer connections including 6.6 million wireless subscribers, 3.9 million wireline network access lines and 1.2 million Internet subscribers and 200,000 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 $158 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 3.1 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.

For further information: James Carruthers, Interim Executive Director, BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre Foundation, [phone], [email protected]; Shawn Hall, TELUS Media Relations, [phone], [email protected]