OTTAWA, Sept. 9 /CNW/ - The Canadian Nurses Foundation is marking the start of the 2009-2010 academic year by awarding 24 Aboriginal nursing students from colleges and universities across Canada with academic scholarships.

The Canadian Nurses Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of the new TD Aboriginal Nursing Fund:

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    Baccalaureate - $3,000 awarded to each recipient
    Daphne Belleau - Sault Ste Marie, Ontario
    Lisa Francis - Craven, Saskatchewan
    Betty Jararuse - Makkovic, Newfoundland
    Tara Littlechief - Carlyle, Saskatchewan
    Christina MacDonald - Forth Smith, Nunavut
    Dayna McCrae - Regina, Saskatchewan
    Heather Pastulovic - Kelowna, British Columbia
    Julie Poulette - Eskasoni, Nova Scotia
    Charlotte Powalinsky - Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
    Charlene Teddy - Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
    Ashley Watcheston - Woodbridge, Ontario
    Jesse Woodward - Edmonton, Alberta
    Rochelle Johnson - Lethbridge, Alberta
    Neepekan Hunt - Winnipeg, Manitoba
    Jocelyn Belzevick - Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
    Jade Bye - Quesnel, British Columbia

    Master - $5,000 awarded to each recipient
    Cheyenne Mary - Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia
    Joanne McGee - Northwest River, Newfoundland
    Lisa Perley-Dutcher - Fredericton, New Brunswick

    Nurse Practitioner - $5,000 awarded to each recipient
    Tania Dick - Vancouver, British Columbia
    Chantelle Evans - Sault Ste Marie, Ontario
    Laurianne Lukan - Leoville, Saskatchewan

    PhD- $6,000 awarded to each recipient
    Raymonde Lisa Bourque-Bearskin - Beaumont, Alberta
    Nicole Helmer - Toronto, Ontario
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"In this inaugural year of the TD Aboriginal Nursing Fund, we would like to acknowledge the many students who submitted applications. These scholarships are a direct response to the demand for more Aboriginal nurses across Canada," said Hélène Sabourin, Executive Director of the Canadian Nurses Foundation.

Rosella Kinoshameg, President of the Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada, noted that "This has been a great opportunity for Aboriginal nursing students to apply for scholarships that will assist them in their contributions towards improving the health of the people. This opportunity reached students at the various levels of education across Canada as indicated by the list of recipients."

"TD couldn't be more pleased to start the back to school season by recognizing 24 talented students with the financial support to help them further their education," says Kerry Peacock, EVP Branch Banking, TD Canada Trust. "We believe we can make a positive contribution to Canadian healthcare by investing in the education of our future healthcare practitioners, one scholarship at a time."

The Canadian Nurses Foundation and the Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada offer sincere thanks to TD Bank Financial Group for its support of Aboriginal nursing education.

The Canadian Nurses Foundation supports world-class Canadian healthcare by raising funds to advance nursing scholarship and research, and recognizing professional excellence in Canada's nurses. The Foundation recently launched Nursing 4.0, a fundraising campaign to raise $4 million over four years for the next generation of nursing and healthcare.

For further information: Media contacts: Jonelle Istead, Canadian Nurses
Foundation, (613) 237-2159 ext. 204, jistead@cnf-fiic.ca; Gregory Harrison, TD
Bank Financial Group, (416) 308-8597, gregory.harrison@td.com