Lionel Richie to head TELUS youth fundraising gala

TELUS Friendly Future Foundation will hold its third annual Together for Tomorrow Gala in Toronto, with Lionel Richie headlining the event. The gala will raise money for youth bursaries and community programmes across Canada.

The event will take place at the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning. Television presenter Cheryl Hickey will host, and Jake Wahlberg will perform at the afterparty. Business, philanthropic, technology and cultural figures from across Canada are expected to attend.

The fundraising evening is intended to support young people facing mental health pressures, employment barriers and financial hardship. All proceeds will go to two programmes: the TELUS Student Bursary and grants distributed through 13 Canadian community boards.

The bursaries provide up to $5,000 a year to more than 500 post-secondary students facing financial barriers who are active in their communities. Since launching in 2023, the programme has supported 2,000 students, and more than half of recipients are the first in their families to pursue higher education.

Recipients also receive discounted mobile and internet plans, mental health services through TELUS Health, and professional development support.

The organisation says it has provided $137 million to support young people across Canada since it was established. In 2025 alone, its impact exceeded $10 million through grants and bursaries.

Funding focus

Nimmi Kanji, Executive Director of TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, said the event is intended to address growing pressure on young Canadians.

"When we invest in youth, we invest in the future of our communities," Kanji said. "The Together for Tomorrow Gala represents our collective commitment to removing barriers and ensuring that every young person in Canada, regardless of their circumstances, has the opportunity to reach their full potential. Young people today are facing many barriers, including unprecedented financial pressures that threaten to limit their ambitions. When we provide them with the support they need, we unlock their ability to become the leaders and changemakers our communities desperately need."

The first two editions of the gala raised more than $5 million. This year's event will also include a live auction, with proceeds going to the same youth programmes.

Bursary impact

Former bursary recipient Samarah Maqbool said the funding shaped both her studies and her later work in community support.

"The TELUS Student Bursary didn't just help me afford my education - it freed me to focus on what I'm truly passionate about: advocating for health equity and amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities," said Samarah Maqbool, a McMaster University graduate and TELUS Student Bursary recipient who now serves on TELUS' Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area Community Board. "I've experienced firsthand the barriers that vulnerable populations face in accessing mental health support. Through my work in the youth mental health and substance use sector, I'm channeling my lived experience into meaningful change. The wraparound support from TELUS has been instrumental in helping me balance my studies, my advocacy work, and my own wellbeing. Now, as a Community Board member, I'm able to help direct funding toward youth mental health initiatives that can truly transform lives."

The gala is part of a wider philanthropic effort linked to TELUS and its community boards. Since 2005, the foundation and the boards have contributed $150 million to more than 11,000 charitable initiatives in Canada and internationally, according to the organisation.

In Canada, the annual grant and bursary model focuses on local charities and individual students. The foundation says it supports more than 500 grassroots organisations and awards more than 500 bursaries each year. The Toronto event is designed to build that funding base through private donations and ticket sales.

Lionel Richie's appearance gives the fundraiser a high-profile entertainment draw, but the foundation has positioned the evening around financial support for young people who might otherwise struggle to continue their education or access services in their communities.

Since launch, the student bursary programme has distributed more than $6 million, according to the organisation. The broader Canadian foundation network continues to fund projects focused on health, education, skills development and social inclusion for young people.