TELUS to present inaugural 'Stepping Up' Awards in recognition of Torontonians who initiate positive social change

Top 5 award winners will receive $1,000 grants from TELUS to support future community projects

TORONTO, Jan. 24, 2012 /CNW/ - TELUS is proud to announce a new series of awards to recognize everyday citizens who have stepped up to drive exemplary social change and innovation. Inspired by the philosophy of author Dr. John Izzo, these awards will celebrate those who look to themselves to be the agent of positive change, rather than waiting for action from others. Award recipients from Toronto will be selected from nominations submitted through the website www.steppingupforchange.ca, a site dedicated to telling and celebrating the stories of individuals who have 'stepped up' to make things better.

"'Stepping Up' is seeing a need and deciding you are the person who can, should, and will do something about it," said Dr. John Izzo, author of the new book Stepping Up - How Taking Responsibility Changes Everything. "What we wanted to do was create a virtual community that inspires and challenges each of us to step up within our own spheres of influence to make our communities, schools, organizations and the world a better place."

Through a combination of inspiring story-telling and practical advice, the videos hosted at www.steppingupforchange.ca, show that one person really can make a big difference, whether it is standing up to bullies, improving the environment, fighting poverty, increasing tolerance, enhancing compassion, or simply making the world a better place. For every person who retweets the TELUS Stepping Up message or likes the TELUS Stepping Up for Change Facebook posts, TELUS will donate $3 to the YMCA*.

"At TELUS, we have a passion for challenging the status quo and believe that any one person who chooses to take responsibility and 'step up' can initiate meaningful change for many," said Josh Blair, executive vice-president of TELUS Human Resources. "Since 2000, our TELUS team members and retirees have volunteered 4.1 million hours to causes that are important to their local communities.  Through the inaugural TELUS Stepping Up Awards, we are thrilled to recognize and support the remarkable contributions of fellow Canadians who share our passion to give where they live."

"Every day at YMCAs across the country, people are changing their lives for the better," said Judy McLeod, YMCA Chief Development Officer. "We're really excited to see the new innovative and inspiring projects that will be supported by these awards and will help us build healthier communities."

To recognize someone who has "stepped up" in your community, visit www.steppingupforchange.ca and submit a nomination between January 24 and February 8, 2012. The top 5 award winners selected by the TELUS Toronto Community Board will receive a $1,000 grant from TELUS to support their next community project. Award recipients will be announced in early March 2012.

* Donation will be capped at $5,000.

About Dr. John Izzo
Dr. John Izzo is the author of six books including two international best sellers The Five Secrets You Must Discover before You Die and Awakening Corporate Soul. He is one of Canada's most sought after keynote speakers and host of the five hour Biography Canada TV series, The Five Things You Must Discover before You Die. He has taught at two major universities and spoken to over one million people. His new book Stepping Up features inspiring stories of ordinary citizens who stepped up to create positive change.

About the YMCA
The Y is a charity dedicated to building healthy communities.  We are committed to nurturing the potential of children, youth and families, promoting healthy living and fostering social responsibility within the community. There are 44 YMCA Associations and 8 YMCA-YWCA Associations across Canada. Together, we serve more than two million people, in 1,000 Canadian communities. Our focus on inclusiveness and accessibility means we serve people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities through all stages of life. Through YMCA financial assistance programs, the YMCA is accessible to all.

For more information about the YMCA of Greater Toronto, please visit ymcagta.org
For more information about YMCA Canada, please visit ymca.ca

About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $10.3 billion of annual revenue and 12.6 million customer connections including 7.2 million wireless subscribers, 3.6 million wireline network access lines, 1.3 million Internet subscribers and more than 450,000 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 $245 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 4.1 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.

For media inquiries, please contact:

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

To book an interview with John Izzo, please contact:

Pat Cairns
Creative Connections Marketing & Public Relations
905-569-0002
[email protected]om