And the five finalists are...

MEDIA RELEASE For immediate release

$3,000 will be awarded to a National Capital Region organization

Ottawa, June 15, 2010 – Marcil Lavallée, an Ottawa-based accounting firm, is proud to announce the names of the five finalists of this first edition of the Community Pearl Award.

The three-member selection committee, which included two Marcil Lavallée associates as well as an outside person, evaluated more than 50 nominations – a difficult task, in light of the number and quality of these submissions. The five finalists stood out because of the quality and importance of their work in the community, their financial needs, and the real and tangible difference they are making in the community.

The Community Pearl Award’s five finalists are :

* The Centre d’artistes Voix Visuelle, based in Ottawa, supports and promotes local Francophone artists by showcasing their work, as well as through artist development and community awareness. www.voixvisuelle.ca

* La Maison Marie-Louise, located in Vanier (Ottawa), supports newcomers to Canada as well as Canadian citizens requiring their assistance. The Maison Marie-Louise provides a welcoming environment, basic training services, and basic necessities. www.maisonmarielouise.org

* Ottawa’s St. Mary’s Home – La Maison Ste-Marie, provides programs and services for young pregnant women, young moms and dads, and their infants and young children. It helps young parents gain the knowledge and skills needed to raise healthy and happy children. www.stmaryshome.com

* The Centre de pédiatrie sociale de Gatineau works with those children from our community who are vulnerable, suffering, sick, victimized, excluded or abandoned. By adopting a global, social approach, the Centre helps them get through unbearable situations, and further helps them heal and find hope. www.pediatriesocialegat.org

* The Centre CARMEN, in Gatineau, provides free, professional services such as art therapy, massage therapy, and nursing care in order to bolster the quality of life of ill persons and their families. It contributes to the wellness of sick members of our society by offering them free services that complement those provided by the health care system. www.centrecarmen.ca

The winning organization will be randomly drawn from all five (5) finalists, during a private reception that will be held at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum, on June 29, 2010.

To celebrate its 30 years of existence and to pursue its long-standing community involvement, Marcil Lavallée launched the Community Pearl Award. This initiative will help an area not‑for‑profit organization make a positive difference in the lives of residents. A $3,000 award will accompany the Community Pearl title.

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Information : Karine Lavoie ou Lara Mainville Llama Communications Tél. 819 776-6888 karine@llamacom.ca lara@llamacom.ca

For a more complete overview of Llama’s work, please visit the French section of the website. Apologies for any inconvenience.

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