INTERAC(R) and Retail Council of Canada Award $5000 to 2010 Retail as a<br>Career Scholarship Program's top applicant

TORONTO, June 2 /CNW/ - INTERAC and Retail Council of Canada (RCC) are pleased to announce the top applicant of the 2010 Retail as a Career Scholarship Program, a program that honours students entering or enrolled in a business, marketing or retail-related program at a Canadian post-secondary institution.

Naila Abbasova, currently enrolled at Ryerson University in Toronto, is the 2010 winner of the $5,000 scholarship, funded by INTERAC.

Ms. Abbasova was one of 26 high school and post-secondary students from across the country awarded $1,000 scholarships to assist in their pursuit of retail as a career. For a second year, INTERAC awarded an additional $5,000 scholarship to the top applicant. This year's scholarship applicants were required to demonstrate their knowledge of current trends in retail and illustrate that they are in-tune with the many areas of the retail industry.

"As a retail partner, INTERAC recognizes the importance of education and is pleased to support those who demonstrate passion, innovation and a commitment to a career in retail," said Mark O'Connell, CEO & President, Interac Association. "We congratulate Ms. Abbasova and are confident that this financial assistance will help in her journey towards a fulfilling education and rewarding career."

"I'm extremely grateful to have been presented with this award because it will really help me excel in what I'm doing right now," said Abbasova. "It also illustrates that RCC and partners like INTERAC really care about young people doing well, and want to support their passion for retail"

Over the past seven years, RCC and its sponsors have given more than $100,000 in scholarships to students who exemplify excellence in retail and demonstrate a strong commitment to the future of retail through their education.

"Pursuing an education in retail requires dedication and funding," said Diane J. Brisebois, President and CEO, Retail Council of Canada. "We are grateful to INTERAC for providing this additional $5,000 scholarship and thank all of our sponsors for their generous support, which will help students further their education and develop the skills required to succeed in retail."

For more information about the 2010 Retail as a Career program and the scholarship winners, click here (http://www.retaileducation.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50&Itemid=57).

About Retail Council of Canada

Retail Council of Canada (www.retailcouncil.org) is the Voice of Retail. It is a not-for-profit association representing more than 40,000 stores of all retail formats, including independent merchants, regional and national mass and specialty chains, and online merchants.

About Interac Association

A recognized world leader in debit card services, Interac Association is responsible for the development and operations of the Interac network, a national payment network that allows Canadians to access their money through Automated Banking Machines and point-of-sale terminals across Canada.

Interac Association was founded in 1984 and is comprised of a diverse membership that includes banks, trust companies, credit unions, caisses populaires, merchants, and technology and payment related companies.

Other related services offered by Acxsys Corporation, whose shareholders are the architects of the Interac network, include: INTERAC Online, for secure online payments directly from a bank account, INTERAC Email Money Transfer, for the transfer of money from a bank account to anyone with an email address, and Cross Border Debit, for point-of-sale access at nearly 2 million U.S. retailers.

For further information: Tina Romano, Interac Association, [phone], [email protected]; Mark Beazley, Retail Council of Canada, [phone], [email protected]