/R E P E A T -- 22 corporate giants unite to make major announcement on
'Power of the Hour' national volunteering initiative/

TORONTO , Jan. 13 /CNW/ - Power of the Hour, a national online and television campaign challenging Canadians to commit 2,000,000 volunteer hours in 2010, announced today that CEOs and senior executives representing the 22 member companies of the Corporate Council on Volunteering will be assembling to make a major announcement regarding their combined pledge of volunteer hours for 2010. Founded in 2005, the CCOV is arguably the single most influential corporate volunteer initiative in the country.

All will gather at Toronto's TMX (130 King Street West , Ground floor) on January 13th at 3:00 PM to make this major announcement.

CEOs in attendance will include:

    
    -   Mike Tierney - President, UPS Canada, Chair of the Corporate Council
        on Volunteering
    -   J-F Courville - President and CEO, MFC Global Investment Management
        and EVP Manulife Financial
    -   Chris Clark - CEO, PricewaterhouseCoopers Canada
    -   Mark Aboud - President and Managing Director, SAP Canada
    -   Alan MacGibbon, Managing Partner & Chief Executive, Deloitte
    -   Lisa de Wilde, CEO, TVO
    

Senior executives from the remaining member companies will also be in attendance, including representatives from: Microsoft Canada , Home Depot, RBC, Bell Canada , Future Shop and Investors Group. They will be accompanied by their not-for-profit partners, including CEOs from Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada , Ontario Association of Food Banks and Free the Children Founder, Craig Kielburger.

"This pledge will send a strong message to other Canadian businesses - large and small, as well as individual Canadians, about the importance that Corporate Canada places on giving back", says Dorothy Engelman , founder, Power of the Hour. "The fact that this many businesses can unite behind this effort demonstrates their enormous commitment to the communities in which they live and work."

Power of the Hour, an online tool through which individuals and groups can pledge and track volunteer hours, will be supported by a national television advertising campaign featuring everyday Canadians as well as many of Canada's highest profile CEOs. Power of the Hour was developed by Getinvolved.ca in partnership with TVO, Volunteer Canada and its Corporate Council on Volunteering. Getinvolved.ca is a national social networking community matching thousands of members to over 500 national not-for-profit organizations.

For further information: or to arrange an interview with a member of the Corporate Council on Volunteering please contact: Patrick McCaully, Pointman Public Relations, [phone], [email protected]