Bear Mountain Resort to play host to 2010 TELUS World Skins Game with
funds being raised for The Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children in
support of Jeneece PlaceVICTORIA, July 29 /CNW/ - Victoria will welcome golfers and visitors from
around the globe when it hosts the TELUS World Skins Game at Bear Mountain
Resort in June, 2010.
As part of TELUS' ongoing commitment to 'give where we live' and the
event's long-standing tradition of benefiting local charities, TELUS and
organizers have selected The Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children in
support of Jeneece Place as the benefiting charity for the 2010 TELUS World
Skins Game.
"The 2010 TELUS World Skins will undoubtedly be an enormous success for
participants and spectators in Victoria. Just as importantly, this
announcement will initiate our funding drive for Jeneece Place in partnership
with the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children," said Darren Entwistle,
TELUS president and CEO. "Jeneece Edroff is a very special young woman and
TELUS is thrilled to help her realize her dream to establish a home away from
home for children and their families who have to travel for care at Victoria
General Hospital, the Queen Alexandra Centre or for specialist appointments
and lab tests in Victoria."
The two-day event will be held on June 21 and 22, 2010 and will feature
the top names in international golf each representing a different country. The
intimate, relaxed setting of the Skins Game format allows players to engage
with the cameras and the crowds as they compete against each other for pride,
prize money and the event's designated charity.
"From the outset, my vision for Bear Mountain Resort centred around
offering a world-class golf experience with the most notable designers behind
it," said Len Barrie, President and CEO of Bear Mountain Resort. "Securing the
2010 TELUS World Skins Game and working with TELUS and IMG to welcome some of
the best players in the world will make that vision a reality."
Bear Mountain Resort was first introduced in 2003 with the Jack and Steve
Nicklaus co-designed Mountain Course. In June of this year the new Nicklaus
Design Valley Course opened giving Bear Mountain the distinction as the only
resort in Canada with 36 holes of Nicklaus Design golf. The Mountain Course is
a masterpiece, offering challenging terrain and spectacular natural beauty. A
par 72 playing at 7,212 yards, the course takes full advantage of its setting
atop a 1,100-foot mountain, exhibiting dramatic elevation changes and
awe-inspiring views.
The par 71, 6,807 yard Valley Course is more forgiving and plays at a
lower elevation than the Mountain Course. It alternates between 300 and 400
feet above sea level with different vistas and scenery, but equally
spectacular. Bear Mountain also features a Westin Hotel, Spa, Athletic Club, a
variety of restaurants and a Village to round out the complete resort
experience.
"After a hugely successful event this summer, we look forward to
returning to Western Canada next June, and especially to visiting Victoria for
the first time," said Brad Pelletier, Senior Vice President and Managing
Director, IMG Canada. "A big part of the TELUS Skins Game's popularity is that
it visits many of Canada's most spectacular destinations, and Victoria and
Bear Mountain Resort will certainly add to that tradition. The fans in British
Columbia have always been great supporters of the event when it has visited in
the past, so we look forward to another tremendous event next June."
The 2010 edition of the TELUS World Skins Game will be the fifth time
that it has been played in the province of British Columbia. Both Nicklaus
North Golf Club in Whistler (1997, 2005) and Predator Ridge Golf Resort in
Vernon (2000, 2008) have earned the distinction of being the only two courses
in Canada to host the event on more than one occasion.
The TELUS World Skins Game is always a highlight of the Canadian summer
sporting schedule for the country's most passionate golf fans, as well as the
community that hosts it. Fulfilling its promise to "give where we live", TELUS
partners with local charitable organizations to make a difference as the event
travels from coast-to-coast. Funds are generated through the 'Charity on the
Course' program which includes donations made for every birdie and eagle
played by the professional golfers during the two days of competition, as well
as an online charity auction through eBay.
Next year's game will improve the quality of life for Vancouver Island's
sick kids and their families for years to come as the money raised during the
event will benefit the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children in support of
Jeneece Place, a home away from home to be located near the Victoria General
Hospital.
"I am so grateful that the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children has
been accepted as the charity partner for the TELUS World Skins game, and that
Jeneece Place is the designated project for donations," said Jeneece Edroff,
the remarkable 15 year old who has raised more than $1.5 million for Variety
the Children's Charity and whose vision will make Jeneece Place a reality.
"It's exciting to think we're that much closer to making my dream of Jeneece
Place a reality!"
The TELUS World Skins Game, an event owned and operated by IMG in Canada
for 18 years, has included many of the biggest names in the game including
Jack Nicklaus, Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples and Greg Norman.
The line-up of players, as well as event ticket information, will be announced
and posted on www.telusskins.com in 2010.
For more information about Jeneece Place please visit
www.jeneeceplace.org.
About IMG Sports & Entertainment
Operating in 30 countries, IMG Sports & Entertainment's diverse
businesses include: consulting services; event ownership and management;
fashion events and models representation; licensing; golf course design; and
client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, speakers, European
football, rugby, cricket, motor sports, coaching, Olympic and action sports.
IMG Academies are the world's largest, multi-sport training and educational
facilities, delivering world-class training experiences to more than 12,000
junior, collegiate, adult, and professional athletes each year.
About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications
company in Canada, with $9.7 billion of annual revenue and 11.6 million
customer connections including 6.2 million wireless subscribers, 4.2 million
wireline network access lines, and 1.2 million Internet subscribers. 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 $137 million to
charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered more than 2.6
million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Nine TELUS Community
Boards across Canada lead our local philanthropic initiatives. For more
information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.
For further information: Dave Haggith, IMG, Tel: (416) 960-5312 ext.
120, E-mail: dave.haggith@imgworld.com; Shawn Hall, TELUS, Tel: (604)
619-7913, shawn.hall@telus.com; Jennifer Jasechko, The Queen Alexandra
Foundation, Tel: (250) 721-6890, Jennifer.Jasechko@viha.ca
