With only 379 days remaining until the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, Canadian Tire Corporation has entered into an eight-year sponsorship agreement with the Canadian Olympic Committee.
Under the agreement, Canadian Tire, Sport Chek and Sport Experts will become the premier national partners of the Canadian Olympic Team. The company joins other major sponsors such as Bell, Hudson’s Bay Company and RBC.
Additionally, the company announced six partnerships with other amateur sport groups: the Canadian Paralympic Committee, the Canadian Soccer Association, Skate Canada, Hockey Canada, Alpine Canada Alpin and Canada Snowboard.
“We’re announcing one of the largest set of sports partnerships ever undertaken in the country, which we believe is quite simply an extension of our heritage and current positioning within the sports industry in Canada,” said Stephen Wetmore, president and CEO of Canadian Tire Corporation, during a media event in Toronto Wednesday morning.
The company already has longstanding commitments with a number of sports leagues and organizations, including Canada Games, Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, the National Hockey League and NASCAR.
Wednesday’s announcement spans from the podium to the playground, with major grassroots initiatives planned to encourage and help kids get more involved in sports. For instance, Sport Chek and Sport Experts will host “Skills Development” programs to build skills and support amateur athletes.
“We hope to inspire more children to get involved in sports, to inspire our teenagers and young adults to chase their dreams and to inspire healthy living,” said Wetmore (pictured) of the partnership.
Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities will also work with Own the Podium and the Canadian Olympic Foundation to help kids in financial need participate in sports.
Canadian Tire Corporation also announced flexible employment opportunities across its 1,700 retail locations to provide athletes “an important source of revenue and all the time they need to train,” explained Wetmore.
The company will support Canadian athletes year-round across all of its retail banners through marketing and advertising opportunities. The company will announce new athlete sponsorship agreements in the coming months.
