Morguard's BeYou Campaign in Support of Big Brothers Big Sisters Wins ICSC Foundation's 2017 Canadian Community Support Award

Inaugural campaign saw 13,000 young women participate in free interactive events
designed to empower, mentor and support in Morguard shopping centres across Canada

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Oct. 6, 2017 /CNW/ - Morguard is proud to announce that BeYou, the company's national cause marketing campaign to help young women across Canada increase self-esteem, personal growth and self-worth, has been awarded the 2017 Canadian Community Support Award by the International Council of Shopping Centres ("ICSC") Foundation. The award recognizes the most outstanding corporate social responsibility and community outreach efforts by shopping centres, their management companies, developers and retailers.

To commemorate the award, the ICSC Foundation has donated $5,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters, Morguard's charitable partner in the BeYou campaign. With this donation, almost $40,000 was donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters through the 2016 BeYou program. Big Brothers Big Sisters also saw a 34% increase in volunteer inquiries during the campaign.

The BeYou campaign is designed to increase self-esteem and empower young women aged 9 to 16 years across Canada through positive support and mentoring.  In the inaugural 2016 campaign, nearly 13,000 young women registered and participated in free interactive workshops, speaker series and other empowering events. The BeYou message was spread across the country as advertising and media outlets garnered over 151 million online impressions. More than 800,000 people were exposed to the BeYou campaign in Morguard's shopping centres across the country.

The 2017 campaign added a downloadable anthem by award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter Tara Shannon, multiple screenings of the powerful Dream, Girl documentary on women entrepreneurs and a text to donate program to raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters. More information can be found at http://beyougirl.ca/, the digital hub for the BeYou program.

"We are proud that the BeYou program has had a positive impact on young women, encouraging them to celebrate their diversity and uniqueness," said K. Rai Sahi, Chairman and CEO of Morguard. "We appreciate the support of the ICSC Foundation to help Morguard and our partners at Big Brothers Big Sisters provide positive mentoring for young women across Canada."

The ICSC Foundation presented the award to Morguard during a ceremony at the ICSC Canadian Shopping Centre Awards gala in Toronto. Morguard was also awarded Maple Leaf Gold Awards in the Cause Related Marketing and Public Relations categories for the BeYou campaign.

Morguard's owned and managed enclosed retail properties were also recognized by the ICSC with Maple Leaf Awards in the following categories:

Cause Related Marketing

• BeYou - 10 Mentors in 10 Days (Silver) – Prairie Mall, Grande Prairie, AB

Customer Service Experience and/or Engagement

• Mom & Baby on the Move (Gold) – St. Laurent, Ottawa, ON

Digital Campaign/Emerging Technology

• Get Your Gem On (Silver) – Bramalea City Centre, Brampton, ON

Event or Sales Promotion

• Hot Seat Giveaway (Silver) – Shoppers Mall, Brandon, MB
• Pokémon Hunt (Silver) – New Sudbury Centre, Sudbury, ON
• Black Friday Mystery Box (Silver) – Bramalea City Centre, Brampton, ON

Multi-Channel Marketing

• As Fresh as the Tulips (Silver) – St. Laurent, Ottawa, ON

All 2017 Gold award recipients receive automatic entry into the 2018 ICSC VIVA Awards, the international program that honors the retail real estate industry's most cutting-edge properties, innovative solutions, and creative responses to market trends. ICSC will announce the victors of the VIVA Awards during RECon 2017 in Las Vegas.

About ICSC
Founded in 1957, ICSC is the global trade association of the shopping center industry. Its more than 70,000 members in over 100 countries include shopping center owners, developers, managers, investors, retailers, brokers, academics, and public officials. The shopping center industry is essential to economic development and opportunity. The industry is a significant job creator, driver of GDP, and critical revenue source for the communities it serves through the generation of sales taxes and the payment of property taxes. These taxes fund important municipal services like firefighters, police officers, school services, and infrastructure like roadways and parks. Shopping centers aren't only fiscal engines however; they are integral to the social fabric of their communities by providing a central place to congregate with friends and family, discuss community matters, and participate in and encourage philanthropic endeavors. For more information about ICSC visit www.icsc.org and for the latest news from ICSC and the industry go to www.thecenterofshopping.com.

The ICSC Foundation is the charitable arm of ICSC. The ICSC Foundation is dedicated to career development through educational endeavors, and to engaging, promoting and recognizing those in the retail real estate industry who contribute to making their communities better. For more information, visit www.icscfoundation.org.

About BeYou
BeYou is an annual national cause marketing campaign created to increase self-esteem and empower young women aged 9 to 16 years across Canada. Developed by Morguard and presented in its portfolio of 21 shopping centres, BeYou will give young women access to personal and professional development tools, while celebrating their growth, diversity and self-worth. In partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada, the program is offered in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. More information can be found at http://beyougirl.ca/, the digital hub for the BeYou program.

About Morguard
Morguard Corporation is a major North American real estate company.  It has extensive retail, office, industrial, multi–suite residential, and hotel holdings owned directly, or through its investment in Morguard REIT (TSX: MRT.UN), Morguard North American Residential REIT (TSX: MRG.UN) and Temple Hotels Inc. (TSX:TPH). Morguard also provides real estate management services to institutional and other investors. Morguard's owned and managed portfolio of assets is valued at $21.9 billion. Please visit www.morguard.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Morguard Corporation