Press Release

GE CAPITAL SOLUTIONS AND TORONTO COUNCIL OF ROTARY CLUBS HELP DEAF CHILDREN COMMUNICATE

Peter Gauthier, Sr Acc't M'gr, GE, Shona Farrelly, TDSB,
Peter Ringer, Sr Reg'l VP, Ontario , GE,
Kathryn Langley Hope, Vice Chair TCRC/Dir.T/E Club,
George Heintzman, PP, Rotary Club Toronto Eglinton

GE Capital Solutions donates BlackBerry wireless devices to Toronto District School Board (TDSB) for use by deaf and hard-of-hearing high school students

Mississauga, Ontario – December 15th, 2006 – GE Capital Solutions, a leading provider of financial solutions to businesses operating in a broad range of economic sectors, today announced that it has donated 50 BlackBerry wireless telephone and e-mail devices (previously used by GE Capital Solutions employees) to the TDSB for use by deaf and hard-of-hearing students at three Toronto schools.

Davisville Public School Junior Metropolitan Toronto School for the Deaf, Northern Secondary School and Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute are participating in a research project called “Towards Optimizing Independent Life Skills” (TOILS) that was launched in 2003 to improve communications between deaf and hard-of-hearing students and their families, teachers and peers through text messaging technology.

According to research, deaf and hard-of-hearing children often experience delayed social development, compared to their hearing peers, in part because parents restrict activities outside the home due to safety considerations, especially their lack of telephone access. However, text messaging technology has been proven to accelerate the development of reading and writing skills of deaf and hard-of-hearing children, that by high school graduation, may not otherwise develop beyond the level of a fourth grade hearing child.

“GE is committed to supporting community initiatives wherever we have a presence,” said Peter Ringler, Senior Regional Vice President, Ontario Region, GE Capital Solutions Canada. “Our Mississauga office identified the TOILS Project as an extremely worthy cause where we could make a significant contribution. On behalf of GE, the Mississauga team is proud to be supporting the students participating in the TOILS Project,” Mr. Ringler added.

“Mobile telephone, text and e-mail communications are standard in everyday life today,

but for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, it is the benefit of text messaging that is even greater,” said Kathryn Hope, Vice Chair, Toronto Council of Rotary Clubs.

. “With text messaging, a deaf youngster can keep in touch with their parents and peers whenever they leave home. We thank GE Capital Solutions for it’s generous donation and hope that other corporate citizens will follow their lead and support the TOILS Project,” concluded Mrs Hope.

About GE Capital Solutions

GE Capital Solutions is a leading provider of financial solutions to businesses operating in a broad range of economic sectors such as construction, transportation, forestry and others including the energy and manufacturing sectors. Our customized solutions include asset-based equipment financing, corporate and franchise finance as well as IT finance, and financial solutions and services to equipment manufacturers, distributors, dealers and their end users. With more than 20 offices across the country and access to the resources of General Electric, GE Capital Solutions has the ability to deliver innovative solutions for all commercial financing needs. Visit us online at www.gecapitalsolutions.ca to find out more about us.

About the TOILS Project

The Towards Optimizing Independent Life Skills (TOILS) Project was initiated in 2001 by Shona Farelly of the Davisville Public School Junior Metropolitan Toronto School for the Deaf and George Heintzman, Past President of the Rotary Club of Toronto Eglinton in association with York University and The Toronto District School Board with the support of Motorola and Bell Mobility. The mission of the TOILS Project is to advance communication between deaf and hard-of-hearing young people and their families, schools and peers through wireless communication – specifically text messaging technology. For more information, please visit

www.rotary7070.org/eglinton/projects/projects_toils.html, or e-mail gheintzman@sympatico.ca, or kehope@sympatico.ca.