January 30, 2002

Employees of ATCO Gas Raise Funds for Local Charities

(Calgary, AB) – During 2001, over $430,000 was raised by ATCO Gas employees through the ATCO Gas Employee Community Service Fund where employees pledge to charities of their choice and ATCO Gas matches donations to Canadian health or welfare organizations. Over $117,000 of this fund was directed to Calgary charities. "Since 1947, the employees of ATCO Gas have been providing support to the communities in which we live and work", states Twyla Tobler, Community Investment Advisor.

Employees of ATCO Gas will present cheques in excess of $70,000 to six Calgary charities:

Where: 4th Floor Auditorium, 909 – 11 Avenue S.W., Calgary (ATCO Centre)
 

When: 11:45 a.m., Thursday, January 31, 2002

Who: ATCO Gas Employees

Darlene Yewchuk, Manager Corporate & Community Giving, Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation

Heather MacDonald, Vice President, The United Way of Calgary and Area

Linda Powell, STARS Executive Administrator

Michelle Regel, Major Gifts Coordinator, The Salvation Army

Pat Nixon, Executive Director, The Mustard Seed

Tara Friesen, Leadership Giving Coordinator, Canadian Cancer Society

"The support of programs such as the ATCO Gas Employee Community Service Fund makes such a difference in our community. In addition to the recently announced $500,000 ATCO Group donation to our new Children’s Hospital, we are so fortunate to be one of the recipients of the efforts of the ATCO Gas employees", says Deborah Apps, Chief Executive Officer of the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation.

The Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation is the official fundraising body of the Alberta Children's Hospital, raising approximately $5 million annually to support priority needs at the hospital, including medical equipment, vital research and unique programs and services tailored to the special needs of children and their families. Annually, there are over 367,000 patient visits to this world class facility.

Heather MacDonald, Vice President of the United Way believes that support from ATCO Gas Employee Community Service Fund is part of a large interconnected web which makes our city better. "The premise is simple, support today for individuals and families while at the same time bringing stakeholders together to find long term solutions. This requires hard work, leadership and cross community collaboration."

STARS is a non-profit, volunteer-supported organization which began providing air medical services 16 years ago. During that time, STARS has flown more than 8,500 missions to numerous cities, town and rural areas in Alberta and southeastern British Columbia. In 2001, STARS carried out more than 1,240 missions from its bases in Calgary and Edmonton. The organization is a vital link in the medical chain of survival, providing helicopter transport and aeromedical care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to assist critically ill and injured patients.

Community support is vital to the operation of the STARS program," said Dr. Greg Powell, STARS CEO. "We are tremendously appreciative of the generosity of ATCO employees in choosing STARS as one of the recipients of the Community Service Fund."

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