Vancouver Entrepreneur to donate $500,000 in matching funds for Variety - the Children's Charity of British Columbia

The Variety Kids Can campaign will expand support to children in BC with special needs

BURNABY, BC, June 28, 2017 /CNW/ - Victory Square Technologies (CSE: FYS) founder and CEO Shafin Diamond Tejani has committed a $500,000 matching donation to Variety - the Children's Charity's Variety Kids Can campaign. The noted philanthropist and tech leader shared the donation announcement with one of the very families he's helping through Variety, Natasha Golinsky and her daughter, Kalenna.

"Kalenna lives with a very extreme case of a rare condition called Childhood Apraxia of Speech," said Golinsky. "She was unable to say a word until she was 6 years old, but now thanks to twice a week speech & language therapy, she is speaking in full sentences. Specialized therapies like this are very expensive, and we would never have been able to afford it without the help of Variety, and amazing supporters like Shafin, and Victory Square Technologies."

The Variety Kids Can campaign, launched on March 28^th of this year was kicked off by an initial $1M donation by the Milan and Maureen Ilich Foundation, with the goal of $2.5M raised. All funds raised support Variety BC's core grant areas, as well as provide new opportunities to expand on the ways the charity can help the kids and families it serves. Funds raised go towards areas such as mobility equipment, specialized therapies, mental wellness, educational programs and bursaries for learning disabilities, and lifesaving medical equipment and supplies.

"Variety Kids Can is gaining momentum as more philanthropists like Shafin Tejani and the Milan & Maureen Ilich Family Foundation learn about the kids and families they are helping. Their generosity and challenges to other businesses and individuals means we're certain to hit our $2.5M goal so that together we can be there to make sure kids all across this province have the resources they need to thrive," noted Variety BC CEO Kristy Gill.

Introduced to Variety BC by Victory Square Technologies board member and Variety BC past president, Howard Blank, Tejani has long supported children's charities. Just this past week he won the 2017 Technology Impact Award for Person of the Year. The $500,000 he has committed to Variety represents half of $1M he has pledged to BC charities.

"Supporting children's causes has always been dear to my heart, and I've always been impressed with the work that Variety BC does. Getting to meet Natasha and her daughter Kalenna made me feel even more personally invested in helping as many kids as possible," remarked Tejani. "I hope that my peers in the business community will rise to the challenge and match my donation. Together, we can raise an additional $1M and change the lives of many children and families in BC."

To support the Variety Kids Can campaign, visit variety.bc.ca or call toll free 1-800-381-2040. Support the campaign online using the hashtag #VarietyKidsCan.

About Variety - the Children's Charity:

Variety - the Children's Charity steps in where health care ends, providing direct help to children with special needs in BC and the Yukon. For over 50 years Variety has ensured children have the support to reach their potential.

Together, we can be there when a family needs us the most.

Since 2010 Variety has distributed more than $25 million in funding to families and organizations in communities all across the province. With your help, we can raise even more!

For more information on how you can support Variety - the Children's Charity, visit variety.bc.ca or call 1-800-381-2040.

SOURCE Variety - the Children's Charity of BC

For further information: Media Contact: Michael Keller, Direct: 604-268-4031, Cell: 778-230-6953, Email: michael.keller@variety.bc.ca