TELUS Van Isle 360 Yacht Race Gives Back

Today, Organizers of the TELUS Van Isle 360 Yacht Race announced that they will provide a $25,000 donation for the Queen Alexandra Foundation in support of Jeneece Place, a home away from home for children requiring medical treatment and their families.

Jeneece Place is the dream of 17 year old Jeneece Edroff, known to many as the Vancouver Island Penny Girl, who, with help from TELUS, raised more than $1.5 million to help children with special needs. Jeneece Place is currently under construction in Victoria next to the Victoria General Hospital and will be available to families of children, with special health needs, from around Vancouver Island who need to travel to Victoria for medical treatment.

"We are thrilled to be able to make this contribution to Jeneece Place," stated Wayne Gorrie, Founder of the TELUS Van Isle 360 Yacht Race. "We had been looking for a way to give back to all the communities who have helped us with the Van Isle 360 over the years, and this is just awesome. We hope this donation will help improve the lives of families from around Vancouver Island who find themselves in need of Jeneece Place."

The cheque will be presented to Jeneece Edroff by Wayne Gorrie of the TELUS Van Isle 360 and Mark Cloutier of Blast Performance Sailing, during the 'Kick Off Reception' for the race on Friday, June 3in Nanaimo, B.C.

The TELUS Van Isle 360 International Yacht Race is a 580 nm race circumnavigating Vancouver Island from June 4 – 18. The race is sailed in 10 legs and stops at 10 different host communities around the Island. This year's race is sold out and features 41 of the Pacific Northwests' top racing teams.

For more information on Jeneece Place or to make a donation visit www.jeneeceplace.org for information on the TELUS Van Isle 360 visit www.vanisle360.com