Greg Meister, SaskTel Vice-President Customer Services - Technical Performance & Operations and Roberta Jamieson - NAAF President and CEO

November 20, 2009 – TORONTO – The National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation (NAAF) is excited to announce that SaskTel will sponsor the 2010 National Aboriginal Achievement Awards in the amount of $50,000. The event will be held in Regina on March 26, 2010.

“The Foundation is pleased to welcome SaskTel as a new partner in our Awards Gala. SaskTel continues to build its reputation as one of Saskatchewan’s most generous companies. It is a leader in both philanthropy as well as community support on behalf of all the citizens of this great province,” said National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation President & CEO Roberta Jamieson. “On behalf of all Aboriginal youth in Canada, I would invite many more companies and foundations to find out how they can work with NAAF to help the organization ‘Enrich Canada by Advancing Aboriginal Achievement’ into the next decade and beyond.”

The National Aboriginal Achievement Awards (NAAA) were established to encourage and celebrate excellence in the Aboriginal community.  NAAF created the Awards in 1993, in conjunction with the United Nation’s International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.  The Awards recognize the outstanding career achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in diverse occupations.  Now entering its 17th year, these Awards have become a Canadian institution.

“SaskTel is proud to assist the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation in recognizing Aboriginal people who are leaders in their communities and in their professions,” said Robert Watson, SaskTel President and CEO. “We’re excited to welcome these achievers to Regina in 2010.”

SaskTel’s sponsorship will also help support the NAAF’s Blueprint for the Future Career Fair that took place on November 10, 2009 at TCU Place in Saskatoon. The Career Fair is designed to inform First Nation, Métis and Inuit high school students about potential careers in all employment sectors. 

The National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation (NAAF) is a nationally registered non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds to deliver programs that provide the tools necessary for Aboriginal peoples, especially youth to achieve their potential. Since 1985 the Foundation through its Education Program has awarded more than $32-million in scholarships and bursaries to more than 8,400 First Nations, Inuit and Métis students nationwide. NAAF’s key initiatives include: The National Aboriginal Achievement Awards (NAAA) a national annual broadcast celebrating 14 achievers in a multitude of career areas including a special youth award and an award for lifetime achievement; Taking Pulse joins NAAF with industry to present career options in specific growth sectors through a series of short documentaries and supporting curriculum materials with the aim of recruiting First Nations, Inuit & Métis youth; and Blueprint for the Future (BFF) a series of one-day career fairs that motivate and inspire  First Nations, Inuit and Métis high school students with valuable resources and information on career opportunities. Over 30,000 students have attended these exciting youth oriented events to date nationwide.

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corporation (SaskTel) is the leading full service communications provider in Saskatchewan, with $1.138 billion in annual revenue and over 1.3 million customer connections including over 510,000 wireless accesses, 555,000 wireline network accesses, 216,000 internet accesses and 76,000 Max™ (TV) subscribers. SaskTel offers a wide range of communications products and services including competitive voice, data, internet, entertainment, national security, messaging, cellular, wireless data and directory services. In addition, SaskTel International offers software solutions and project consulting in countries around the world. In 2008, SaskTel contributed over $610 million to the Saskatchewan economy through dollars spent with Saskatchewan-based suppliers and sponsorships to non-profit organizations. SaskTel and its wholly-owned subsidiaries have a workforce of approximately 5,000 employees.

For more information, please contact:

Visit SaskTel at www.sasktel.com.

Andy Tate
Media Relations Manager
SaskTel
306 777 4548