Mackenzie Investments announced Thursday that Firrhaana Sayanvala of Cambridge, Ont. has been selected by an esteemed judging panel as the 2012 winner of Canada’s Top Teen Philanthropist.

Firrhaana receives $2,500 in cash and $5,000 that will be directed in her name to the charity of her choice.

Firrhaana, 17, has been actively involved in Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank for more than four years. She has been involved in a number of fundraising events, often in a leadership role, to assist the food bank, plus she has assumed an activist role of promoting the charity and recruiting others to lend a hand. Through Firrhaana’s tireless efforts, support for Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank has grown, allowing the charity to help more people in need, when they need it most.

“Firrhaana is an outstanding contest winner,” said Brad Offman, vice president, strategic philanthropy at Mackenzie Investments. “She is humble, articulate and passionate about helping the less fortunate through countless hours of volunteering. She’s living proof of the power of grassroots philanthropy.”

The judging panel also commended five finalists for their outstanding philanthropic efforts in 2012. Each of the following finalists receive $500 and an additional $500 for the charity of their choice:

  • Jenna Cottrill, 17, Wallace, N.S., God’s Littlest Angels Canada;
  • Hannah Dalton, 17, Montreal, Free The Children;
  • Arielle Grondin, 16, Tecumseh, Ont., Cystic Fibrosis Canada;
  • Paige Roper, 17, Pitt Meadows, B.C., B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation; and
  • Shannon Wong, 17, Richmond Hill, Ont., Free The Children.

The judging panel was comprised of high-profile individuals with expert knowledge of philanthropy and children’s issues. The judges were Danielle Bedasse, executive director, Jays Care Foundation; Carlos Bustamante, Host, YTV’s The Zone; Craig Kielburger, founder, Free The Children; Brad Offman, vice president, strategic philanthropy, Mackenzie Investments; and Jane Wu, 2008 winner of Canada’s Top Teen Philanthropist.

With hundreds of applications to consider, the panel judged the candidates on a number of factors, including: the breadth of their volunteering and fundraising efforts; leadership and creativity; hands-on involvement in their philanthropic pursuits; length and level of their involvement; and impact on their community and their charity.

Mackenzie Investments is a member of the IGM Financial Inc. (TSX: IGM) group of companies. IGM Financial is one of Canada’s premier financial services companies with $120.7 billion in total assets under management.