VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 28 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell and the Rick Hansen Foundation announced a partnership today whereby Rick Hansen will work with Bell in support of their commitment to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and community engagement initiatives.

Bell will also support the Rick Hansen Foundation's strategy of engaging more youth in British Columbia and Alberta. To ensure youth can play a leadership role in Canada's journey to 2010 and beyond, Bell will also invite select youth from the Foundation's program to participate in an Accessibility and Inclusivity Committee which is working to make the 2010 Winter Games the most technologically accessible and inclusive Games in the history of the event.

"I am so pleased to welcome Rick to the Bell Olympic and Paralympic family," said Loring Phinney, Vice President, Corporate and Olympic Marketing, Bell Canada. "Rick is a Canadian leader with an inspiring message that reverberates across the country. Our partnership will further enable Bell to help connect every Canadian and youth across the nation to the Olympic and Paralympic experience."

"Both of our organizations share a passion for driving innovation, inclusivity and leadership in all that we do. I am excited to partner with Bell to help shape its 2010 strategies and facilitate ongoing leadership dialogue," said Rick Hansen, President and CEO of the Rick Hansen Foundation. "And with Bell's support, we will be able to engage more youth in our programs throughout western Canada."

As an ambassador of Bell's Olympic and Paralympic program, Rick will advise Bell on its 2010 organizational strategies, community engagement initiatives and Paralympic plans. For example, he will provide counsel to the Accessibility and Inclusivity Committee led by Bell. He will also engage Bell employees and other audiences with his inspiring message of overcoming obstacles and achieving personal bests.

The Bell Olympic and Paralympic family includes local leaders from diverse Canadian communities. In addition to Hansen, in his role as an Ambassador, Bell is also supported by the Bell Champions, a team of nine Olympic and Paralympic athletes representing Bell across the nation.

About Bell

Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers with solutions to all their communications needs, including telephone services, wireless communications, high-speed Internet, digital television and voice over IP. Bell also offers integrated information and communications technology (ICT) services to businesses and governments, and is the Virtual Chief Information Officer (VCIO) to small and medium businesses (SMBs). Bell is proud to be a Premier National Partner and the exclusive Communications Partner to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. For information on Bell's products and services, please visit www.bell.ca. For corporate information on BCE, please visit www.bce.ca.

Rick Hansen Foundation

The Rick Hansen Foundation is a registered charitable organization that works to create more accessible and inclusive communities for people with a spinal cord injury, and supports the search for a cure. The Foundation achieves its goals by connecting the people and resources that make innovation possible. Through Rick's leadership, the Foundation has generated more than $178 million for spinal cord injury related programs and initiatives. For more information, please visit www.rickhansen.com.

For further information

For media inquiries, please contact: Linda Low, Bell Canada, (604) 678-7509, Cell: (778) 835-6818, linda.low@bell.ca
Lorraine Wilson, Rick Hansen Foundation, (604) 709-6346, Cell: (604) 351-9205, lwilson@rickhansen.com