The Canadian Cancer Society is inviting Ontario residents to donate $50 and join the Million Dollar Hockey Pool, which the organization says is Canada’s first major charitable sports pool to offer a $1 million prize.
Players who correctly select a winning NHL team for a streak of 45 games or more are eligible to win the grand prize. Players can also win a variety of other prizes throughout the hockey season, such as a trip to L.A. and weekly cash prizes.
The aim of the campaign is to reach new audiences who might not be connecting with other Canadian Cancer Society fundraising programs. “We know there’s a huge audience of people already who take part in fantasy sports pools, and we thought connecting those passions and supporting a great cause at the same time with the chance to win a million dollars was a good fit,” said Mike Kirkpatrick, director of marketing for the Canadian Cancer Society in Ontario.
To promote the hockey pool, the organization has enlisted sports broadcasters Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole, former TSN hosts who moved to Fox Sports 1 in L.A. earlier this year. Hockey legends Doug Gilmour and Brad Marsh are also supporting the campaign. The team of spokespeople joined the Canadian Cancer Society at a kick-off event at a downtown Toronto pool on Sept. 2, and they will all be involved throughout the program.
“There’s only so much you can do with advertising,” said Kirkpatrick, on the decision to focus heavily on PR. “Certainly with PR and having ambassadors who have a connection to audiences that may not be in our current circle of influence, it really helps us bridge that gap.”
The fundraising campaign was created by Toronto-based Harbinger, which has worked with the Canadian Cancer Society for 14 years. The Million Dollar Hockey Pool met all the Canadian Cancer Society’s criteria for a new fundraising program, including that it “must be innovative and and reach new markets in new ways,” said Jeff Weiss, president and owner of Harbinger. “They weren’t looking for another ‘me-too’ – it’s got to be new and it’s got to be different.”
The Canadian Cancer Society also wanted a program that could continue year over year, and of course, raise a lot of money. “It couldn’t be a flash in a pan,” said Weiss. “If you look at the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, that’s great, it’s done incredible things for [ALS] and raised a ton of money, but it’s not something that’s going to continue.”
Weiss added that the goal of the hockey pool is to raise $5 million over three years.
The Canadian Cancer Society also has a partnership with Sun Media, which involves print ads in Sun Media papers throughout Ontario including the Toronto Sun and Ottawa Sun, weekly pool picks (in print) from Onrait and O’Toole throughout the hockey season, and online ads. Sun Media has also donated its private box at Air Canada Centre for a Toronto Maple Leafs game as one of the weekly prizes.
UM Canada handled the media planning and buying.
The pool runs for the regular hockey season — Oct. 8, 2104 to April 11, 2015. Players can follow the action on Twitter at @CCSHockeyPool and use #milliondollarhockey to join the conversation.
