‘Home Owners Helping Home Towns Community and Charity Contest' gives winners opportunity to help local charities

St. Jacobs, ON, November 17, 2011 -Home Hardware Dealers across the country demonstrated their commitment to the communities where they live and work by awarding a brand new Toyota Matrix to three lucky winners and another vehicle to each of the winners' charities of choice as part of the Home Owners Helping Home Towns Community & Charity Contest.

"Home Hardware has been a community-based company since 1964, one that works with its Dealers to build meaningful, long-term relationships with local organizations that enrich the lives of others," said Paul Straus, President and CEO, Home Hardware Stores Limited. "We are proud to be able to enhance the lives of our winners and the ability of these charities to provide valuable services to these communities."

The contest ran between June 29 and August 13, 2011 and gave homeowners across Canada the opportunity to win the grand prize of a Canadian-made Toyota Matrix as well as one for their charity of choice. Entry ballots were accepted online at www.homehardware.ca. The three grand prize winners of the Toyota Matrix were selected at random through a draw in eastern (QC, NB, NS, PEI, NFLD), western (MB, SK, AB, BC and Territories), and central (ON) Canada.


The Western Canada winner, Barbara Jordan of Nanaimo, BC, chose Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation as her charity. The Foundation will use their prize to help them raise funds for equipment, renovation and research. The prizes were presented by Applecross Home Hardware.

Picture (left to right): Neil Gertsma, Co-Dealer-Owner, Applecross Home Hardware; Barbara Jordan, Winner; Maeve O'Byrne, President, Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation; Dale Melvin, Board of Directors, Home Hardware Stores Limited; David Beck, Area Sales Manager, Pacific Zone, Toyota Canada Inc.




In Central Canada, winner Melissa Heng of Toronto, ON, chose Childhood Cancer Canada Foundation to receive the new vehicle, which will help them deliver critical education, community, and connectivity programs to children with cancer and their families. The prizes were presented by Metro Home Hardware Building Centre.

Picture (left to right): Sam Tantsis, Marketing Consultant, Partnerships & Sponsorships, Toyota Canada Inc.; Melissa Heng , Winner; Dana Stanescu, Director, Marketing & Community Programs, Childhood Cancer Canada Foundation; and Doug Plourde, Dealer-Owner, Metro Home Hardware Building Centre





In Eastern Canada, Gordon Fraser of Charlottetown, PEI, chose Tremploy Inc. as his charity. Tremploy Inc. provides adults who have an intellectual disability with life skills training to assist them in exploring their potential and empowering them to contribute and participate in the community in a meaningful way. The prizes were presented by Home Hardware - Charlottetown.

Picture (left to right): Kevin MacDonald, Senior Dealer Development Manager, Atlantic Region, Home Hardware Stores Limited; Paul Johnston, Co-Dealer-Owner, Home Hardware - Charlottetown; Kurt MacLennan, Charlottetown Toyota; Gordon Fraser, Winner; Frank Butler, Chairman of Board, Tremploy Inc.; Gregory Hicks, Area Sales Manager, Atlantic Region, Toyota Canada Inc.; Les Wong, Co-Dealer-Owner, Home Hardware - Charlottetown


Home Hardware is proud to have partnered on this contest with Toyota Canada to give away Canadian-made Toyota Matrix. Toyota Canada has been the official vehicle for Home Hardware since 2009.

About Home Hardware Stores Limited
100% Canadian owned and operated, Home Hardware Stores Limited has a presence in every Canadian province and territory and is the country's largest independent, Dealer-owned hardware, lumber, building materials and furniture cooperative. Founded on January 1, 1964 by 122 independent hardware Dealers, the cooperative now includes more than 1,080 stores, under the Home Hardware, Home Building Centre, Home Hardware Building Centre and Home Furniture banners, with annual collective retail sales of more than $5 billion. Home Hardware's independent Dealer-Owners, recognized by the North American Retail Hardware Association as Canada's best-trained Dealer group, have access to 100,000 quality brand name and private label products, a world-class distribution system and draw upon the power of Home Hardware's network to provide their local communities with top quality products and services at competitive prices.

About Toyota Canada
Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Toyota, Lexus and Scion cars, SUVs and trucks, and Toyota industrial equipment. TCI's head office is in Toronto, with regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Halifax and parts distribution centres in Toronto and Vancouver. Toyota's Canadian operations include automotive assembly plants in Cambridge, ON (Toyota Corolla, Toyota Matrix, Lexus RX 350) and Woodstock, ON (Toyota RAV4). For more details, including a full list of media contacts, digital images and product details please visit media.toyota.ca.

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For more information, please contact:
Lindsey Dietrich
Home Hardware Stores Limited
519-664-2252 ext. 6676
lindsey.dietrich@homehardware.ca

Rob Wallace
Home Hardware Stores Limited
519-664-4710
rob.wallace@homehardware.ca