TELUS Community Boards donate $27,500 to KHLF!

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Ottawa and Vancouver TELUS Community Boards Help Hospitalized Kids Stay Connected

(Toronto, ON) – Kids’ Health Links Foundation (KHLF) is excited to announce that we’ve received grant funding from the TELUS Ottawa and TELUS Vancouver Community Boards in the amounts of $12,500 and $15,000, respectively. Two-thirds of each grant will be donated to The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and BC Children’s Hospital in support of their UPOPOLIS programs. These funds will support the socialization and integration of UPOPOLIS Version 2.0 into therapeutic care and the daily practice of child life specialists, who care for children and youth during a very scary and challenging experience in their lives. This new version of the program, launched in 2014, has an updated user-interface, enhanced functionality and refreshed look and feel, making it even easier for hospitalized children and youth to connect with one another, with family and with friends. The balance of the funds will be used by Kids’ Health Links Foundation to provide support and develop best practices for UPOPOLIS in consultation with CHEO and BC Children’s Hospital.

“My heartfelt thanks go out to the TELUS Team for their powerful commitment to strengthen communities where they serve and for truly living the philosophy, ‘we give where we live’,” says Basile Papaevangelou, Chairman of Kids’ Health Links Foundation. “It is because of TELUS and TELUS Community Boards’ ongoing support of our Foundation and the work that we do that makes it possible for us to positively impact the lives of young hospital patients across the country.”

Founded and created by KHLF and powered by TELUS Health, www.UPOPOLIS.com is Canada’s only private, secure and trusted online social network designed just for kids and teens receiving medical care in hospitals and youth treatment centres. UPOPOLIS provides familiar features of social networking, such as personal profiles, micro-blogging, newsfeed, instant chat, and photo uploading while giving patients the opportunity to stay up to date with schoolwork, and navigate through child-friendly health and wellness information verified and approved by health care professionals. Since 2009, TELUS Community Boards across Canada have donated $205,000 to Kids’ Health Links Foundation in support of UPOPOLIS implementations in children’s hospitals and UPOPOLIS program development.

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is Canada’s fastest-growing national telecommunications company, with $11.8 billion of annual revenue and 13.5 million customer connections, including 8.0 million wireless subscribers, 3.2 million wireline network access lines, 1.45 million Internet subscribers and 888,000 TELUS TV customers. TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services, including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video, and is Canada’s largest healthcare IT provider.

In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed more than $350 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 5.4 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Created in 2005 by Executive Chairman Darren Entwistle, TELUS’ 11 community boards across Canada have led the company’s support of grassroots charities and will have contributed $47 million in support of 3,700 local charities by the end of 2014, enriching the lives of more than two million Canadian children and youth. 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.

For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.

About the Kids’ Health Links Foundation

The Kids’ Health Links Foundation was founded by Basile Papaevangelou and his daughter Christina to foster initiatives focused on alleviating the stress, isolation and loneliness for kids and teens undergoing medical care so that they might be better able to overcome traumatic medical experiences. These initiatives include: UPOPOLIS — targeting healthy connections for pediatric patients; UPEDIA — providing resources supporting child life specialists; and UMIND — connecting professionals dedicated to child and youth mental health.

We believe that positive emotional well-being can be fostered by maintaining family connections and encouraging active social participation. By providing technology that enables this well-being through UPOPOLIS, we hope to help children heal faster and better overcome traumatic medical experiences.

KHLF and TELUS Health first launched the UPOPOLIS Program in 2007 at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton and since then it has expanded to 13 additional hospitals and health organizations across Canada including: BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver; IWK Health Centre in Halifax; CHEO in Ottawa; The Hospital for Sick Children and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto; CHU Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre; Montréal Lutherwood Youth Treatment Center in Waterloo; London Hospital for Sick Children in London; Emily’s House Pediatric Palliative Care Hospice in Toronto; Janeway Children’s Health and Rehabilitation Centre in St. John’s; Youth Treatment Centre in Paradise; and the Youth Addictions Treatment Centre in Grand Falls-Windsor.

For more information about the Kids’ Health Links Foundation please visit: www.kidshealthlinks.org.

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For more information, please contact:

April Ganong
Kids’ Health Links Foundation
905-817-1717
april@kidshealthlinks.org

Sarah Arden
TELUS Community Affairs – Ottawa
613-683-1710
sarah.arden@telus.com

Nicole MacLellan
TELUS Community Affairs – Vancouver
604-648-5862
nicole.maclellan@telus.com

CAEM raises $8,437 for KHLF, its Charity of Choice!

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Earlier this week, on Wednesday, December 3rd at The International Centre, KHLF attended the Canadian Association of Exposition Management (CAEM) 2014 Holiday Luncheon Event. We are honoured to have been selected as CAEM'S Charity of Choice once again this year! It was a pleasure to lunch amongst friends as we continue to develop our relationship with such a generous organization and supporter of our work.

We were also so grateful to be presented with a cheque of $8,437 from the fundraising produced by CAEM and its members at last year’s holiday luncheon, their 2014 Conference and their Sports Day.

It is because of our amazing partners, like CAEM that we are able to continue to expand our initiatives and realize the full potential of our Foundation.

THANK YOU!!

Upopolis, KHLF & TELUS recognized in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly

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UPOPOLIS Rocked "The Rock"!

Our Newfoundland & Labrador launch of our UPOPOLIS Program was a great success! Though the temperature was chilly, we certainly basked in the warm welcome received from Eastern Health and Central Health, our newest UPOPOLIS sites.

We were so excited to have The Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premiere and Minister of Health and Community Services attend the event, and it was a tremendous honour for Kids' Health Links Foundation and UPOPOLIS to be spoken about by him later that day at the House Of Assembly - a short video clip can be viewed HERE!

A HUGE thank you to TELUS Health and Eastern Health Newfoundland & Labrador in particular for helping us rock "The Rock" by organizing and promoting this province-wide event!

Upopolis launches in Newfoundland and Labrador!

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St. John’s – Newfoundland and Labrador will welcome TELUS Health and Kids’ Health Links Foundation (KHLF) to the province on Thursday, November 20, 2014 to make a province-wide announcement affecting pediatric patients and their access to youth-friendly medical content and social connections with families, friends and schools while undergoing treatment.

The Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Community Services, along with representatives from Eastern Health, Central Health, TELUS Health and the Kids’ Health Links Foundation will be present for the provincial launch of this initiative.

Note to editors: Cameras and reporters welcome to attend

When: Thursday, November 20, 2014 9 a.m.

Where: Paradise Youth Treatment Centre 7 Mallow Drive (off Paradise Road)

What: Interview and Photo Opportunities: • Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Community Services, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador • David Diamond, President and CEO, Eastern Health • David Thomas, Vice President, TELUS Health • Basile Papaevangelou, Chairman and Founder, Kids’ Health Links Foundation

Follow the conversation on Twitter using #Upopolis.

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For more information, please contact:

Jill Yetman TELUS Media Relations 416-992-2639 jill.yetman@telus.com

April Ganong Kids’ Health Links Foundation 905-817-1717 april@kidshealthlinks.org ###

Countdown to Upopolis SuperUser Meeting!

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This Thursday and Friday, November 13-14, 2014, Kids' Health Links Foundation is hosting its 3rd Annual UPOPOLIS Super User Meeting in Toronto. This yearly event brings together key child life specialists from across the country from that are using and enjoying the positive benefits of the UPOPOLIS program. Child life specialists are the life-blood of UPOPOLIS. They act as the administrators and champions of the program in the institutions where it's found. We've found that bringing them together annually for UPOP training, in-depth discussions on socialization of the program within their hospitals, best-practice sharing and hot topic brainstorming – all in an effort to promote collaboration and develop ways to continually improve and enhance the program – has become a much anticipated, effective and exciting event we all look forward too.

All 10 UPOP institutions with the program will have at least 1 delegate to represent their child life teams. Participants include:

McMaster Children’s Hospital – Hamilton, Ontario BC Children’s Hospital – Vancouver, British Columbia Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario – Ottawa, Ontario IWK Health Centre – Halifax, Nova Scotia The Hospital for Sick Children – Toronto, Ontario CHU Sainte-Justine – Montreal, Quebec Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital – Toronto, Ontario Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences – London, Ontario Emily’s House - Toronto, Ontario Lutherwood - Waterloo, Ontario

This year, we are excited to have delegates from 3 tertiary care centres join us as well. They are exploring the possibility of bringing UPOPOLIS to their units (eg. Oncology) to support the children and youth they see. We look forward to their ideas, contributions, and feedback.

We are also very excited to announce Mary Jo Haddad, KHLF Board Member and Past President & CEO of SickKids Hospital as our Keynote speaker to kick-off our meeting on Friday morning!

THURS, NOVEMBER 13

2:30 - 4:30 PM UPOPOLIS 2.0 Orientation for New Super Users
5:30 - 6:30 PM Welcome Cocktail Reception
6:30 - 9:00 PM Group Dinner

FRI, NOVEMBER 14

8:00 - 8:30 AM Breakfast Buffet Marquis Restaurant
8:30 - 8:45 AM Special Welcome & Introductions Basile Papaevangelou, Founder/President, KHLF Mary Jo Haddad, KHLF & TELUS Board Member, Past President & CEO, SickKids Hospital
8:45 - 9:30 AM Super User Needs Assessment Survey Results & Discussion Allison Sohanlal, KHLF UPOPOLIS Program Manager
9:30 - 10:15 AM UPOPOLIS 2.0 Training: CK Editor, Embedding Video, other TBD Presenter: Mario Cantin, TELUS
10:15 – 10:45 AM Hot Topic Charting & Break
10:45 – 11:45 AM The Road AheadTaking UPOP 2.0 Mobile Presenters: TELUS Team
11:45 – 12:30 PM Lunch
12:30 – 1:30 PM UPOPOLIS as Part of the Theraputic Toolbox: A Discussion of Psycho-Social Support for Youth in Hospital Presenter: Allison Sohanlal, KHLF
1:30 – 3:00 PM Hot Topics for Future Direction of UPOPOLIS: Group brainstorming Facilitators: Allison, KHLF & April Ganong, KHLF
3:00 – 3:30 PM Closing Comments & Thank You

 

Allison Sohanlal (CCLS) joins KHLF!

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KHLF WELCOMES CCLS, ALLISON SOHANLAL TO OUR TEAM! We are very excited to announce that Allison Sohanlal has joined the KHLF Team as our National UPOPOLIS Program Manager.  Allison brings with her over 11 years of clinical experience as a certified child life specialist (CCLS) working with children and families who have experienced illness, loss and/or trauma.  Most recently, Allison has dedicated the last five years at SickKids in Toronto as the UPOPOLIS Super User (administrator) since its launch in 2009.

Allison holds a Masters in Child Life and Family Centered Care and is an assistant professor in the McMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences, Child Life Studies Program. She is also on the board of directors of Hospice Toronto. Allison, with her child life background and extensive experience with UPOPOLIS over the years, will help us expand UPOPOLIS from a fantastic social platform for hospitalized kids, to a very important therapeutic modality integrated into the practice of care in hospitals and care centres across the country.

Allison is excited about joining Kids' Health Links and continuing her advocacy for the needs of youth with hospital experience:

"I have seen UPOPOLIS grow in leaps and bounds over the last five years and am thrilled to continue to develop and support the success of this therapeutic network across Canada.  You cannot begin to measure the positive impact UPOPOLIS has had on the patients I have worked with - who find comfort in a safe and secure space to meet other youth who understand their unique experiences and challenges.  UPOPOLIS allows them to express themselves, give and receive support and to connect with their hospitals in a new and engaging way.  It is incredibly rewarding to work with the Kids' Health Links Foundation who not only support the child life profession, but the patients and families across Canada that we are lucky enough to work with every day!"

Welcome to the Kids' Health Links family, Allison!!

KHLF Welcomes Mary Jo Haddad to Its Board of Directors

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 A VERY WARM WELCOME TO MARY JO HADDAD (Toronto, Ontario) The Kids’ Health Links Foundation (KHLF), an Ontario-based charitable organization, announces the election of Mary Jo Haddad to its board of directors. KHLF is dedicated to using technology to develop initiatives targeting the physical and mental health of children and youth.

President and CEO of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto until her retirement in December 2013, Haddad has made numerous contributions to children's health in Ontario and internationally. She brings her extensive experience in the healthcare field to build and expand upon the Foundation’s initiatives, devoted to furthering the health and well-being of paediatric patients and those who support them.

“Words are inadequate to express how honoured we are to welcome Mary Jo as a board member,” says KHLF Founder and Chairman, Basile Papaevangelou. “Her addition to the KHLF Board of Directors reflects KHLF's unrelenting commitment to finding the most innovative and very best leaders to guide our efforts to support the physical and mental health of children and youth."

An honours graduate of the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Windsor, Ms. Haddad earned her master’s degree in Health Science from the University of Toronto. She is an adjunct faculty member at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto and at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Business, and she is a mentor for aspiring leaders from the Women's Executive Network and The Creative Institute for Toronto’s Young Leaders.

In 2013, she received the Contribution to Child Health Award of the Canadian Association of Paediatric Health Centres and the Grace Evelyn Simpson Reeves Award for Excellence in Career Achievement, The Hospital for Sick Children. In 2012, she received The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2010.

 

About the Kids’ Health Links Foundation

The Kids’ Health Links Foundation (KHLF) is a grassroots charity co-founded by Basile Papaevangelou and his daughter Christina in 2007. It was inspired by Christina’s near death as a result of a massive blood infection known as Toxic Shock Syndrome in 2002; and by the passing of her good friend Katy, in 2004 following a brave battle with cancer. Through these experiences, it became obvious to Basile and Christina that the isolation and lack of connection felt by both Christina and Katy during their hospitalizations were typical for hospitalized kids across Canada. KHLF was created to answer this need. The mission of the Foundation to use technology to help alleviate the stress and isolation of paediatric patients drives its initiatives. Today, these include

UPOPOLIS: The only private, secure and trusted social network for hospitalized kids and teens in Canada. It is offered, supported, hosted and updated at no cost to the institution or user. UPOPOLIS was recognized in November 2012 by the Canadian Health Informatics Association (CHIA). TELUS our partner was recognized for the CHIA Corporate Citizenship Award for their support of our innovation. UPOPOLIS can be found at eight (8) children’s hospitals and one kid’s mental health center across Canada.; Lutherwood Children’s Mental Health Centre, Kitchener, ON; McMaster Children’s Hospital, Hamilton, ON; The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, ON; Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON; IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS; BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC; Ste-Justine University Hospital Centre, Montréal, QC; Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), Ottawa, ON: Children’s Hospital, London, ON. This year, UPOPOLIS will be implemented at Emily’s Children and Youth Hospice, Toronto and at 3 centres in Newfoundland and Labrador: Eastern Health Center for Youth Mental Health and Addictions, Paradise; Central Health Center for Youth Mental Health and Addictions Grand Falls-Windsor; and Janeway Children’s Health and Rehabilitation Centre, St. Johns.

WWW.UMIND.ca: An online community hosting a national community of practice; facilitating educational and mentoring opportunities within the network of children’s mental health treatment providers.

WWW.UPEDIA.ca: This peer-reviewed library holds child life resources and policies that have been generously contributed by children’s hospitals and pediatric centers. Contributions continue.

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Upopolis 2.0 Canada-wide launch event

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Celebratory Cupcakes!
Celebratory Cupcakes!

UPOPOLIS Announces Canada-Wide Launch Event

Making cyber-safe connections even easier for paediatric patients across Canada

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toronto, Ontario – The Kids’ Health Links Foundation (KHLF) is pleased to announce its Canada-wide launch event to be held June 18th, celebrating the release of the newly redesigned and revamped Upopolis 2.0, a private online social network available exclusively to paediatric patients in hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout Canada.

Developed in partnership with TELUS Health, the new UPOPOLIS 2.0 makes it even easier for hospitalized youth to connect with one another, with family and with friends.

“The idea for UPOPOLIS was inspired by my daughter’s near-death experience in 2002, followed in 2004 by the death of a close friend of hers after an extended battle with cancer,” says Kids’ Health Links Foundation co- Founder and President Basile Papaevangelou. “Both required lengthy hospitalizations, creating a sense of isolation and loneliness at times, which is often the experience of hospitalized kids and teens. At its core, UPOPOLIS was created to help paediatric patients connect with family and friends and to also enable them to form new ones with patients at other hospitals and healthcare facilities. We’re honored to be able to work with Telus and our hospitals and healthcare facilities to offer UPOPOLIS 2.0 to these young people.”

Along with its psycho-social benefits, UPOPOLIS users can share photos, chat, play games and much more. A particularly important feature of UPOPOLIS is its kid-friendly medical content. Written specifically for kids & teens and reviewed and verified by medical professionals, this library of information allows paediatric patients to learn more about their medical conditions and treatments.

“At TELUS, we take pride in connecting millions of Canadians with the people and information that matters most to them. For us, helping connect hospitalized kids with a safe and secure social network is an extension of that,” said Paul Lepage, President of TELUS Health. “Our commitment is to provide the best healthcare information technology solutions in Canada and leverage our unparalleled telecommunications network to give healthcare providers life-saving reach nation-wide from coast to coast to coast. We consider it a privilege to support ground-breaking initiatives like UPOPOLIS because we care about turning information into better health outcomes for all Canadians.”

Hospitals that are part of the UPOPOLIS network and that will be participating with in-hospital events on June 18th include: The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, ON; McMaster Children’s Hospital, Hamilton, ON; IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS; Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), Ottawa, ON; Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON; CHU Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre, Montréal, QC; and Children's Hospital London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON.

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At the Kids’ Health Links Foundation (KHLF), our mission is to use technology to alleviate the stress, isolation and loneliness of children in medical care, and keep them connected with their family, friends and school community.

We believe that positive emotional well-being can be fostered by maintaining family connections and encouraging active social participation. By providing technology that enables this well-being, we hope to help children heal faster and better overcome traumatic medical experiences. For more information about the Kids’ Health Links Foundation and UPOPOLIS, visit www.kidshealthlinks.org.

Golfing for kids!

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On Monday September 26, 2011 we held our inaugural Charity Golf Invitational and Fundraiser at the exclusive Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario!

The proceeds from this tournament are making it possible for UPOPOLIS to continue helping to alleviate the stress, isolation and loneliness children experience during stretches of medical care. This safe, online community provides answers and comfort with an online library of easy to understand medical information written especially for kids and teens.UPOPOLIS is the only private and secure social network in Canada that helps hospitalized children stay connected with family and friends, remain up to date with school, and virtually meet kids in hospital across the country. To date, UPOPOLIS has touched the lives of over 1,500 hospitalized children at McMaster Children’s (Hamilton), SickKids (Toronto), CHEO (Ottawa), IWK Health Centre (Halifax), CHU Sainte-Justine (Montreal) and BC Children’s (Vancouver). Many hospitalized children still remain outside the UPOPOLIS community. A hearty thank you to all our golfers, sponsors, volunteers and donors!

Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital welcomes Upopolis

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TORONTO , Sept. 29, 2011 /CNW/ - Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in partnership with TELUS, Kids' Health Links Foundation (KHLF) and Sheridan Nurseries today announced the launch of Upopolis, an innovative social networking tool that helps hospital inpatients stay connected to their families, friends and school.

Created by KHLF and powered by TELUS, Upopolis.com is the only private, secure and trusted online social network designed just for kids in hospital. Upopolis provides the best features of social networking, such as personal profiles, personal blogs, instant chat and child-friendly games. The site also provides unique features to kids in hospital, such as a homework site to stay up-to-date with their schoolwork, links to kid-friendly health and wellness information, and connections to other children with the same condition.

At Holland Bloorview, Upopolis will be championed by Child Life Specialists, who work with clients, their family and other caregivers to help manage stress, pain and anxiety associated with hospitalization.

Holland Bloorview is the only children's rehabilitation hospital in Canada to offer this innovative site to their patients. This program comes just in time for Thanksgiving , a vital time for kids in care to connect with their loved ones.

"The average hospital stay at Holland Bloorview is 61 days. For a young person, a stay that long can feel like a lifetime and can lead to feelings of isolation," says Sheila Jarvis , president and CEO Holland Bloorview. "Upopolis allows kids to stay connected to their friends and families which is extremely important for their healing."

Through a unique partnership with KHLF, TELUS provides the technology to develop and build Upopolis. TELUS continues to provide site expansion, ongoing access to Upopolis, managed web hosting, application support and maintenance services.

"At TELUS we take pride in finding new and innovative health care solutions for Canadians through the use of technology," said Paul Lepage , senior vice-president, TELUS Health Solutions. "Upopolis is a terrific example of technology that empowers children in care. It is often difficult for patients to travel outside hospital walls, but with this unique program patients can connect with their friends and families at anytime. We are proud to partner with Holland Bloorview, which will provide growth and expansion within this network to more young patients."

The generous donation KHLF received from Sheridan Nurseries has allowed them to bring Upopolis to Holland Bloorview. In turn, this donation will help with its initial implementation, oversight and also continue the program development for all connected hospitals across Canada.

"Working with Upopolis has given us the opportunity to keep children connected to their family and friends, during a time they often feel isolated and needing extra support," said Karl Stensson, president of Sheridan Nurseries. "We are proud to be involved with this innovative concept in children's health care."

The online support network was inspired by the hospital experiences of two teenaged friends, Christina Papaevangelou and Katy McDonald. In February 2002 , Christina was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at McMaster Children's Hospital with a life-threatening illness. Shortly after, Katy was diagnosed with cancer and had to be hospitalized for a long period of time at SickKids. Sadly, Katy lost her battle with cancer. However, their friendship and common experiences inspired Christina to explore ways to help kids in care stay connected.

"Ten years ago Upopolis was only a dream, today it has connected many children in care across Canada , with each other and with their friends and loved ones," said Basile Papaevangelou, chairman and founder of Kids Health Links Foundation. "On behalf of Kids' Health Links and our partners, we are thrilled to launch Upopolis at yet another hospital in Canada and for the first time at a children's rehabilitation facility. Today's launch at Holland Bloorview means we are one step closer to bringing this program to every Canadian children's hospital."

KHLF and TELUS launched the first Upopolis program in 2007 at McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton and since then it has expanded to other hospitals and health organizations across Canada , including B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver ; IWK Health Centre in Halifax ; CHEO in Ottawa ; SickKids in Toronto , Ste. Justine in Montreal and Lutherwood in Waterloo. By adapting the TELUS technology, the Upopolis team has been able to meet the specific needs of each hospital, whether adding French language capabilities or information specific to mental health.

About Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital is Canada's largest children's rehabilitation hospital, fully affiliated with the University of Toronto.  We pioneer treatments, technologies, therapies and real-world programs that give children with disabilities the tools to participate fully in life. Every year, we see about 7,000 children with about 600 inpatient admissions and 58,000 outpatient visits.

About Kids' Health Links Foundation

Kids' Health Links was founded by Basile Papaevangelou and his daughter Christina to connect, through technology, children in health care facilities across Canada with friends and family, their teachers and schoolwork. Kids' Health Links Foundation created Upopolis - an innovative, private online community for children in care. The Kids' Health Links technology solutions help to alleviate stress, isolation and loneliness for children in medical care in order to help children heal faster and better to overcome traumatic medical experiences.

About Sheridan Nurseries

Sheridan Nurseries is the largest combined nursery and retail chain of garden centres in Canada , with eight retail locations in the GTA and one in Kitchener-Waterloo, as well as five Professional Supply Centres.  The third-generation Stensson business includes more than 900 acres of farm property growing over one million plants for sale annually, in varying container sizes. For more information, visit www.sheridannurseries.com or contact the Marketing department at 416-798-7970.

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada , with $10.1 billion of annual revenue and 12.4 million customer connections including 7.1 million wireless subscribers, 3.7 million wireline network access lines and 1.2 million Internet subscribers and more than 400,000 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.

Golf Invitational & Fundraiser

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KHLFlayout_011
KHLFlayout_011

The First Annual Golf Invitational & Fundraiser for Kids' Health Links Foundation

UPOPOLIS is the only private and secure social network in Canada that helps hospitalized children stay connected with family and friends, remain up to date with school, and virtually meet kids in hospital across the country.

Register today to join us in championing this cause. In support of UPOPOLIS, Kids’ Health Links Foundation (KHLF) is hosting its First Annual Charity Golf Invitational and Fundraiser on Monday, September 26th at the exclusive Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario.

The proceeds from this tournament will make it possible for UPOPOLIS to continue helping to alleviate the stress, isolation and loneliness children experience during stretches of medical care. This safe, online community provides answers and comfort with an online library of easy to understand medical information written especially for kids and teens.

To date, UPOPOLIS has touched the lives of over 1500 hospitalized children at McMaster Children’s (Hamilton), SickKids (Toronto), CHEO (Ottawa), IWK Health Centre (Halifax), CHU Sainte-Justine (Montreal) and BC Children’s (Vancouver). Many hospitalized children still remain outside the UPOPOLIS community. You can help change this by registering now!

Tournament Details

September 26, 2011 Glen Abbey Golf Club 1333 Dorval Dr. Oakville, ON L6M 4G2 Canada

Cost: $3000 per Foursome * Payments only accepted via cheque. Please make payable to:

Kids’ Health Links Foundation 2000 Argentia Road Plaza V Suite B-100 Mississauga Ontario L5N 2R7

Agenda

8:30am - Arrive & Register (optional Warm-Up on the Practice Range)
10:00am - Golf – Shotgun Start
3:00pm - Cocktails
4:00pm - Dinner, Prize Presentation & Live Auction