– This year’s Northwestel Festival of Trees concluded in

Whitehorse over the weekend, raising over $500,000 for the Yukon Hospital Foundation.

In its eighth year, the festival is the Foundation’s annual signature fundraising event and

brings together hundreds of sponsors, volunteers, businesses, participants and

organizations to raise funds for diagnostic equipment for Whitehorse General Hospital.

“We had record attendance and raised record funds at all our events throughout the

festival,” said Yukon Hospital Foundation President Scott Kent. “Yukon residents,

volunteers and businesses continue to demonstrate their generosity and strong sense of

community as we work for the very best health care possible right here at home.”

The Foundation is in its first year of a three-year campaign to raise funds to purchase a

Magnetic Resonance Imaging – or MRI machine - for Whitehorse General Hospital.

Whitehorse General Hospital will become the only facility north of 60 with an MRI and

will provide enormous benefits to both patients and hospital staff – including reduced

wait times for a non-critical MRI scan that will be among the shortest in Canada.

“From reduced wait times to the reduction of costs and stress to patients and their

families associated with travelling outside the territory for an MRI, the Yukon Hospital

Foundation is excited to work with the community and our title sponsor Northwestel to

make this MRI a reality for all Yukon residents,” continued Kent.

“Northwestel is delighted that the 2010 Northwestel Festival of Trees has once again

brought the Yukon community together in a very successful fundraising effort,” said Paul

Flaherty, Northwestel President and Chief Executive Officer. “As the title sponsor for this

event over the past eight years, it’s been wonderful to see the community offer its

support so enthusiastically. With our current sponsorship agreement complete,

Northwestel has renewed our commitment to the excellent work of the Yukon Hospital

Foundation. Over the next five years, we’ll contribute $450,000 in sponsorship funds,

bringing our total contribution to more than one million dollars. We are very proud of this

commitment and of the generosity of all Yukoners.”

The Yukon Hospital Foundation MRI Campaign Direct Mail Appeal will continue

throughout 2011. One hundred per cent of all donations directly benefit the MRI

Campaign and do not support the Foundation’s administrative or operating costs.

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For more information about the Yukon Hospital Foundation and the MRI Campaign,

please contact:

Scott Kent

President, Yukon Hospital Foundation

867.393.8930

Whitehorse, Yukon