Protolaunch would appreciate your support - vote now

NEWS RELEASE

ONTARIO TRILLIUM FOUNDATION

*************************

18 local youth initiatives nominated for People's Choice Award of the Ontario Trillium Foundation

Online voting starts today

Voting starts today to choose a youth-focused initiative as the People's Choice Award of the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Eighteen local initiatives involving youth have been selected from among hundreds of recent OTF grants for their effectiveness and the impact on the youth served.

Anyone can vote February 13 through 29.

Go to this website.

To decide your vote, view the videos, photos and impact stories posted by these young community builders.

Vote up to five times per hour now through February 29.

All initiatives were led by or serve youth ages 13 to 18, and were selected in November by more than 300 OTF grant review team volunteers.

The People's Choice Award is a new addition to the foundation's prestigious Great Grants Awards, to be presented March 23, 2012, in Toronto.

The nominee garnering the most votes will receive a day of strategic consulting, courtesy of Deloitte.

And the nominees for the Ontario Trillium Foundation People's Choice Award are by community and initiative:

• Sault Ste. Marie - Protolaunch c/o Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre

• Sudbury - Sampo Rhythmic Gymnastics Club

• Huntsville - 2010 Ontario Winter Youth Games c/o Town of Huntsville

• Hawkesbury - 100% Actif

• Bancroft - Celebrate Youth Movement c/o North Hastings Community Integration Association

• Brantford, Caledonia, Six Nations - The Ally Stories Collaborative c/o Community Builders Youth Leadership

• Waterloo - Sustainable Waterloo

• Hamilton - Golden Horseshoe Orienteering

• Niagara - TALK: Teams of Adults Listening to Kids c/o Niagara Pride Support Services

• Stratford - Choices for Change

• Blenheim, Chatham - Blenheim Youth Centre

• Ingersoll - Fusion Youth Centre

• Burlington - Burlington Green Youth Network

• Alliston - Blue Frog Youth Enterprise c/o South Simcoe Community Information Centre

• Peterborough - John Howard Society of Peterborough: Successful Achievement for Fundamentals of Employment (SAFE) program

• North York - Big Day Out Collaborative c/o World Literacy of Canada

• Thunder Bay - Community Arts and Heritage Education Project

• Iskatewizaagegan # 39 - Environmental Leadership Program c/o Junior Chief and Council of Iskatewizaagegan # 39 The Iskatewizaagegan # 39 Band Council

"It's amazing to see the impact these projects have had, and the videos and pictures posted on The People's Choice Award site tell the stories. We're excited to see the wide variety of projects and the tremendous changes these youths are having on their communities," Sandra Cruickshanks, director of communications and public affairs, Ontario Trillium Foundation.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation strengthens the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives.

Learn more

Learn more about the nominees' work with local youth.

Learn more about the Ontario Trillium foundation Great Grant Awards.

Learn more about the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Follow L. Robin Cardozo on Twitter.

*************************