The TELUS Basketball Classic
Wednesday, November 30, 2011 – Submitted by TELUS Basketball Classic
Vancouver, B.C. – The Canada One Foundation is pleased to announce TELUS as title sponsor of the annual TELUS Basketball Classic, Canada’s largest preseason high school basketball tournament and cheer & dance event. In its 12th year, the TELUS (formerly HSBC) Basketball Classic continues to be one of the most inclusive and inspiring athletic opportunities for Lower Mainland youth. More than 35 scholarships will be awarded to graduating students who participate in this year’s tournament who have demonstrated outstanding citizenship, leadership and academic performance. In addition to helping recognize youth in sport through awards and scholarships, the Canada One Athletic Foundation has raised more than $1.3 million in support of grassroots basketball and cheer & dance in the Greater Vancouver Regional District.
“We look forward to what looks to be the strongest field ever in the boys and girls high school division since our inception. For the first time, we will host a team from the Okanagan, the number one ranked Kelowna boys team. This move was a natural progression as we look to host teams from other regions, provinces and countries in the future,” said Howard Kelsey, Co-Founder of The Canada One Foundation’s TELUS Basketball Classic. “The Championship Finals and Final Four are almost becoming previews of the boys and girls provincial finals. We are also proud to see further growth of our Youth with Developmental Challenges and our TELUS Basketball Classic Elementary Girls and Boys division. This takes the TELUS Basketball Classic one step closer to achieving our overarching goal of reaching out to as many students and community members as possible to promote health, character development and community responsibility.”
Approximately 100 teams will compete at the 2011 TELUS Basketball Classic in various divisions, including boys and girls elementary and high school divisions, First Nations, wheelchair, and Youth with Developmental Challenges divisions. The (6-8 team) elementary school girls’ division for grades seven and younger continues to grow each year.
“TELUS has a developed a tremendous legacy of providing significant support to youth sports in British Columbia and in particular with basketball,” said Robert McFarlane, TELUS Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer. “As the long-time sponsor of the season ending BC AAA boys and girls high school basketball championships, it is fitting for TELUS to now sponsor the opening of the scholastic competitive basketball season as well. The TELUS Basketball Classic is a first-class tournament, offering a diverse range of competitions that celebrates participation in team sports, the value of good sportsmanship and academics along with competitive success. These are values that TELUS is excited to be associated with and we look forward to helping the best tournament of its type in all of Canada become even better.”
Competition begins Saturday, December 3, with the Youth with Developmental Challenges Division tip off at New West High School, and culminates with:
High school basketball semi-final games at Winston Churchill High School: December 09, 2011
Cheer & dance finals at the Richmond Olympic Oval: December 10, 2011
High school basketball championship games at UBC’s War Memorial Gym: December 10, 2011
UBC, SFU, Trinity Western University, U Vic and Thompson Rivers University continue awarding one full tuition, 4-Year scholarships to one boy and one girl participating in the TELUS Basketball Classic. These unprecedented awards are based on the recipients being academically acceptable to the awarding institution, meeting all entrance requirements, making their respective varsity basketball teams annually, remaining in good academic standing annually, and remaining in good status with respective institutions and all CIS rules and regulations.
Senator Larry Campbell, the City of Vancouver “UNSUNG HERO” award:
Awarded this year to the student athlete/manager that most exemplifies sacrifice for the good of their institution. Initiated and presented by former Mayor of Vancouver, now Senator, the Honorable Larry Campbell.
Approximately 35 Annual TELUS Basketball Classic $1,000 scholarships awarded:
Approximately 35 $1,000 scholarships will again be awarded December 10 at UBC’s War Memorial Gymnasium to well deserved exemplary student athletes and citizens. More than $700,000 in such awards has been presented to date.
The Global Links Tom Tagami Coaching Excellence Award:
Presented to the male and female high school coach deemed most deserving of furthering their professional development.
Quinn Keast Most Complete Player Award:
Three thousand dollars will be awarded to the most complete player in the girls or boys division annually, courtesy of The Quinn Keast Foundation.
Canada One Foundation would like to acknowledge their sponsors:
TELUS, HSBC Bank, Canada (30) HSBC scholarships annually, the Notaries Public Society of B.C., POWERade, CKNW radio, Innovative Fitness, Global Television, Pacific Coach Lines, The North Shore News, YOUThink magazine, TEAM 1040 radio, Baden basketballs, The Vancouver Province, SAPUTO, UniServe, Vancouver Police Department, Global Links, Pro Sports Careers, Arbutus Roofing, The Vancouver Courier and Sports Unlimited.
For all TELUS Basketball Classic backgrounder information, updated game scores, highlights, pictures and event details please visit: www.kelseyhansen.com
About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $10.3 billion of annual revenue and 12.6 million customer connections including 7.2 million wireless subscribers, 3.6 million wireline network access lines, 1.3 million Internet subscribers and more than 450,000 TELUS TV customers. 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 will, by year-end 2011, have contributed $245 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 4.1 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Eleven TELUS Community Boards across Canada lead TELUS’ local philanthropic initiatives. TELUS was honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious international recognition.