Claras Big Ride Unites You for a National Conversation on Mental Heal

Claras Big Ride Unites Youth for a National Conversation on Mental Health Bell, Cisco and Northwestel collaborate to bring Claras message to students across Canada

IQALUIT, NU - April 23, 2014 -On her first stop in Canadas territories for Claras Big Ride for Bell Lets Talk, Clara Hughes will host a national youth conversation on mental health with a special live broadcast from Iqaluits Inuksuk High School to thousands of students across Canada. Believing that youth can have a powerful impact in uniting Canadians around the issue of mental health, Bell, Cisco and Northwestel have teamed up to deliver the special webcast through Cisco high-definition video collaboration technologies, Cisco TelePresence and WebEx Enabled TelePresence, and bandwidth provided by Northwestel. Youth from across Canada will be invited to virtually join Clara and Grade 7-10 students on Friday, May 2, at Inuksuk High School for this groundbreaking event. Clara will share the story of her personal struggle with depression, give students a first-hand account of her Ride across Canada and discuss the ways we can all work to achieve a Canada free of the stigma that still surrounds mental illness. Students will also hear from Whit Fraser, president of the Arctic Child and Youth Foundation. Facts and Highlights: Claras Big Ride is a 110-day, 12,000 km cycling journey around Canada to raise awareness for mental health and create a stigma-free Canada. Clara will make stops in 95 communities across Canada - including nine communities across all three territories from May 1 to 15. To learn more, please visit bell.ca/clarasbigride In addition to the national student event, Cisco is providing Clara with Cisco TelePresence technology, WebEx Enabled TelePresence and WebEx to enable her outreach to Canadians and stay connected throughout the tour. Cisco TelePresence technology creates a live, face-to-face communication experience over the network that empowers participants to collaborate like never before. Cisco TelePresence solutions help people meet, share content, create high-quality video recordings and events, consult with experts, and deliver powerful personalized services, all using the power of the network for an immersive in-person experience. Cisco WebEx Enabled TelePresence enables any user with a standards-based video endpoint or WebEx client to join a meeting. Anyone, anywhere on any video-enabled device, including smartphones and tablets, can join a TelePresence meeting. Supporting Quotes: Clara Hughes Im so thrilled with the opportunity to bring students from Iqaluit and across Canada together to talk about mental health and how we can change perceptions around mental illness. In my visits to communities on the Big Ride, Ive found that young people are embracing the anti-stigma message and eager to make a difference. To be able to reach so many young Canadians at the same time with the message of a stigma-free Canada will have a powerful positive impact on the cause. Paul Flaherty, President and CEO, Northwestel As a member of this community, Northwestel strongly supports Claras passion and hard work in working to end the stigma that surrounds mental illness. Were excited to be a partner in this amazing effort and are committed to continuing the conversation that Clara has started. Mark Collins, VP Marketing, Cisco Canada At Cisco we believe that amazing things can happen when we connect the unconnected, and that as new connections form, impact can be multiplied - things that were once silent now find a voice. By leveraging our technology expertise and collaboration solutions to help unite youth in a discussion on mental health, we can empower the next generation of leaders and help enable them to end the stigma attached to mental illness. About Bell Lets Talk Bell Lets Talk is a national charitable initiative by Bell, Canadas largest communications company, that promotes mental health with Claras Big Ride and Bell Lets Talk Day alongside significant funding for community care, research, and workplace best practices. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk. About Northwestel In 2013, Northwestel contributed more than $580,000 in cash and in-kind donations to a variety of northern community groups. Throughout its history, Northwestel has played a key role in the economic, social and cultural development of the North. Northwestel is recognized as a key contributor to the well-being of northern communities through its community investment program and the volunteer contributions of its employees. About Cisco Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. Cisco products and services are supplied in Canada by Cisco Systems Canada Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems, Inc. For ongoing news, please go to http://thenetwork.cisco.com and http://newsroom.cisco.com/canada. For media inquiries, please contact: Jenn Madden Cisco Canada 416.306.7365 jemadden@cisco.com Jacqueline Michelis Bell Media Relations 613 785-1427 jacqueline.michelis@bell.ca Sunny Patch Community Investment Manager, Northwestel 867 455-4100 spatch@nwtel.ca

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