Kids Help Phone Receives $150,000 Gift from Club Penguin

VANCOUVER , Nov. 3 /CNW/ - Kids Help Phone announced today a $150,000 donation from the popular children's virtual world Club Penguin. The gift from the Kelowna-based online playground which is owned by The Walt Disney Company, supports Kids Help Phone's Futures Campaign, a $7.5 million national campaign that will revolutionize and expand the way Kids Help Phone helps kids by phone and online.

"This gift will have a significant impact on Kids Help Phone's ability to enhance our counselling services and provide professional, compassionate help and hope to kids in Canada ," said Sharon Wood , President & CEO, Kids Help Phone. "Club Penguin's contribution to the Futures Campaign will help ensure we can be there for kids as they continue to embrace web-based communication."

Funds raised through the Futures Campaign will help Kids Help Phone transform its current website into a more robust, interactive and kid-friendly site. The Club Penguin donation will support the development of interactive, multimedia therapeutic tools (such as resiliency building and self care tools, quizzes, polls and video) to support kids as they seek help and information about a wide variety of topics.

Club Penguin is one of the largest and fastest-growing virtual worlds for children. Widely known as a trusted provider of fun for kids and peace of mind for parents, Club Penguin is also committed to giving back. A portion of the proceeds from each membership purchased on Club Penguin goes to support organizations such as Kids Help Phone that are working to improve the lives of children and families around the globe.

For more information about Kids Help Phone and The Futures Campaign, please visit www.kidshelpphone.ca.

About Kids Help Phone

This year marks Kids Help Phone's 20th Anniversary. For the past two decades, Kids Help Phone has been at the forefront in providing help and hope through its phone and web counselling services, earning the respect and trust of kids across Canada . When young people feel like there's nowhere to turn, when parents, schools and social services are unavailable, closed, backlogged or simply not accessible for any reason, Kids Help Phone is there. Young people know that when they reach out to Kids Help Phone, any time of the day or night, they'll be connected with a professional counsellor who can provide immediate, kid-friendly insight, help and direction on a wide variety of issues relevant to youth.

Last year, Kids Help Phone counsellors connected with kids in almost 3,000 Canadian communities more than 2.2 million times. By continuing to reach out to kids in meaningful and innovative ways, Kids Help Phone will remain a trusted part of kids' lives for many years to come.

About Club Penguin

Club Penguin (www.clubpenguin.com), a division of Disney Online, provides one of the largest and fastest-growing virtual worlds for children. Club Penguin works to maintain a fun and safe online entertainment experience by using filtering technology and live moderators. The virtual world of Club Penguin, contains no third-party advertising and is free to use and enjoy, however a subscription membership provides access to additional features that enhance the play experience. Club Penguin is headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada , and can be played in English, Portuguese, French & Spanish.

CNW Group is proud to be the official newswire provider for Kids Help Phone

For further information: Kids Help Phone: Kathie Jagger, Regional Director - British Columbia, Tel.: [phone], Email: [email protected]