Toronto Girl Wins Microsoft Canada's National Holiday Greeting Card Contest
Eastview (Toronto) Boys and Girls Club winner's work to appear on company's holiday cards
Mississauga, ON, December 9, 2008 - Catherine Chen, a nine-year-old from Toronto and a member of the Eastview (Toronto) Boys and Girls Club in the former east Toronto, is this year's winner of Microsoft Canada's 12th annual Holiday Greeting Card Contest. This is the second year in a row that an Eastview (Toronto) Boys and Girls Club member has won. Catherine's artwork will appear on Microsoft Canada's corporate holiday greeting cards.
To capture the true spirit of giving, children from Boys and Girls Clubs across Canada were invited to design a holiday card based on the theme "My holiday wish..." Catherine's card was chosen from over 500 entries.
"Every year, our employees look forward to voting on all of the entries we receive from the clubs to select the winning card. Catherine's entry was the resounding winner selected by our teams across the country. Her holiday card shows a lot of creativity and really captures the spirit of our theme this year," said Gavin Thompson, Director of Corporate Citizenship, Microsoft Canada. "We are all very proud to share this wonderful holiday card with our customers and partners across Canada."
Microsoft Canada presented Catherine with a laptop computer loaded with Microsoft software, a printer and a laptop bag. Microsoft also awarded the Eastview (Toronto) Boys and Girls Club with a $1,000 donation. Microsoft Canada works with Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada and its network of 102 Boys and Girls Clubs across the country to provide programs designed to empower children and youth through technology.
"I had a lot of fun creating the greeting card," said Catherine. "I couldn't believe that I won, I'm really happy that I won for the club and I'm so excited about having a brand new laptop!"
"This is a wonderful opportunity for the young people who attend our clubs across Canada to express themselves through art and be publicly recognized for their talent," said Pam Jolliffe, President and CEO, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. "Microsoft truly understands how important arts expression is for the healthy development of children and youth. We are so appreciative of the company's ongoing support of this initiative."
About Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada
Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada is a leading charitable organization providing programs that support the healthy physical, educational and social development of more than 200,000 children, youth and their families each year. In 700 community locations across Canada, clubs offer after-school programs in physical recreation, technology, the arts, personal growth and more. Many clubs also provide meals, emergency shelter, family support programs and other supports to children and youth at risk. Boys and Girls Clubs have been helping young Canadians to discover, develop and achieve their potential, for over 100 years. To learn more, visit www.bgccan.com.
About Microsoft Canada
Established in 1985, Microsoft Canada Co. is the Canadian subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq "MSFT") the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft Canada provides nationwide sales, marketing, consulting and local support services in both French and English. Headquartered in Mississauga, Microsoft Canada has nine regional offices across the country dedicated to empowering people through great software - any time, any place and on any device. For more information on Microsoft Canada, please visit www.microsoft.ca.
