Siemens Canada donates $30,000 to Canadian charities in recognition of outstanding employee volunteerism

Employee contest winners recognized for community involvement

BURLINGTON, ON, Jan. 18, 2012 /CNW/ - Siemens Canada is making donations of $10,000 to each of three Canadian charities in recognition of the winners of Siemens' Greatest Community Supporter Contest. The organizations, chosen by the winners - Kim Aubin, Carol Hanslep, and the team of Donna Cobb, Karen Carbray & Catherine Wadsworth -- are; Casa de Angelae in Peterborough, Ontario; the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer benefiting Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation in Toronto, Ontario; and Big Brothers Big Sisters of West Island in Montreal, Quebec.

To enter the Greatest Community Supporter Contest, Siemens' 4,400 plus employees from across Canada, were asked to share their community involvement stories in three categories: individual fundraising, individual volunteering and team community service. From coaching to cycling and fundraising to road racing, employees from coast to coast shared their amazing stories. In total, applicants raised almost $130,000 for local non-profit organizations and volunteered 3,456 hours which equals to 144 days of their personal time to make a real difference. 

"Siemens' employees walk the talk when it comes to social responsibility and giving back to local communities," said Ann Adair, vice president, Communications and Strategy.  Ms. Adair, who oversees the strategic direction of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at Siemens, went on to say, "I am very pleased with the success of the program and there is no doubt that all applicants deserve a special recognition for being CSR champions in their communities."

The stories were evaluated by more than one thousand Siemens' employees via online voting, and then reviewed by the Caring Hands Employee Committee, a group of employees from across the country who help to drive Siemens' CSR activities. Finally, three winning applications were chosen from among dozens of submissions by the Siemens Donation Committee, made up of members of the executive management team.

The winner of the individual volunteering category, Aubin, chose to dedicate Siemens' donation to Casa de Angelae located in her hometown of Peterborough, Ontario. Kim has been volunteering with the organization since its inception in 2001. Last year, she contributed more than 115 hours by attending meetings, supporting fundraising activities and assisting with other duties.

The winner of the individual fundraising category, Hanslep is a cancer survivor and chose to dedicate Siemens' donation to The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer. From June 2010 to September 2011, Carol organized eight fundraisers, contributing more than $26,000 for the ride. She also volunteered more than 200 hours as Team Captain of the riding team and in June 2011, Carol completed the two-day bike journey from Toronto to Niagara Falls.

The winners of the team community service category, Cobb, Carbray and Wadsworth chose to dedicate Siemens' donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters of West Island. The three women have been participating in the "Bowling for Dollars" fundraising campaign as a team every year since 1989. This year each team member contributed more than 20 volunteer hours, organizing local fundraisers and attending the bowling event.

"It's wonderful to see what community impact our employees make every day and they set an example for all of us," said Adair. "Programs and contests like this are a triple win; for Siemens, our employees and the local communities we support."

About Siemens Caring Hands and the Caring Hands Employee Committee 
The Siemens Caring Hands program was established in 2005 to coordinate and bundle corporate social responsibility activities, including donations, volunteerism, disaster relief and sponsorships. In 2010 Siemens Canada formed the Caring Hands Employee Committee to further unite the efforts of the more than 4,000 Siemens employees from coast-to-coast and to champion Caring Hands programs throughout the year including those developed to benefit Siemens' charity of record Cystic Fibrosis Canada.  Siemens Caring Hands represents a culture of giving that is cultivated by Siemens in Canada and focuses on support for humanitarian and environmental non-profit organizations. Over the past number of years, Siemens Canada has made a significant impact in enhancing lives through its charitable activities. Further information is available at www.siemens.ca.

About Siemens in Canada
For 100 years the innovative ideas from Siemens have helped make Canada a better place. From the Atlantic to Pacific oceans, more than 4,400 employees in Canada work together to provide answers that last in the fields of industry, energy and healthcare, as well as deliver infrastructure solutions for cities. Since it was federally chartered in August of 1912, Siemens has stood for technical achievements, innovation, quality and reliability. Sales for Siemens in Canada in fiscal 2011 (ended September 30), were $3.0 billion CAD. The company has 61 offices and 13 manufacturing/assembly facilities across Canada. Further information is available at www.siemens.ca

This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on the beliefs of the management of Siemens Canada Limited and its affiliates. The words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "forecast," "expect," "intend," "plan," "should," and "project," are used to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the management's current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause the actual results to be materially different, among others, changes in general economic and business conditions, changes in currency exchange rate and interest rates, introduction of competing products, lack of acceptance of new products or services and changes in business strategy. Actual results may vary materially from those projected here. Siemens Canada Limited and its affiliates do not intend or assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.