MONTREAL, Aug. 12, 2013 /CNW/ - The Canadian Tire Family of Companies
and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities welcomed Benoit Huot to its team
today with an announcement and swimming clinic for children in
Montreal, Quebec.
Benoit, winner of nine Paralympic Games gold medals for Canada in
swimming, is an inspiration to people in his home province of Quebec
and across Canada. The two-year partnership will deepen Canadian Tire's
connection to community sport. Benoit will serve as an ambassador for
Jumpstart, which helps children in financial need participate in sports
and recreational activities.
"Benoit and the Canadian Paralympic team inspire us with their passion
and their relentless focus on achieving their dreams and improving
their lives through sport," said Jean Parisien, Canadian Tire
Vice-President, Quebec Region. "We all wish Benoit the best of luck as
he competes in the International Paralympic Committee Swimming
Championships in Montreal this week," he added.
"Canadian Tire is one of the strongest brands in the country and I am
happy to join the Family of Companies," said Benoit Huot. "Canadian
Tire supports athletes of all skill levels, whether they are starting
out on the playground, or competing at an international level. They
recognize that sport has the power to unite families, communities and
the entire nation."
The announcement is an extension of the sport partnership announcement
made earlier this year that positioned Canadian Tire, Sport Chek and
Sports Experts as premier partners of the Canadian Olympic Committee
and confirmed partnership agreements with the Canadian Paralympic
Committee.
The partnership announcement was made today during a swim clinic hosted
by Benoit and sponsored by Canadian Tire at the Jean-Claude Malépart
Centre on Ontario Street in Montreal. Carole Poirier, MNA for
Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and first Vice-President of the Quebec National
Assembly, was on hand for the announcement.
Sport enriches family life and helps build communities. The Company
supports amateur athletes and active families from playground to podium
because it knows what it takes to succeed in whatever sporting activity
Canadians choose and because it believes in the power of sport.
This new partnership builds on a strong foundation of existing
partnerships not only with the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic
Committees, but also with the Canada Games, Canada's Sports Hall of
Fame, Hockey Canada, Snowboard Canada, Alpine Canada and athlete
partnerships with Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, Rosie MacLennan,
Christine Sinclair, Meaghan Mikkelson, Chris Del Bosco, Jon Montgomery,
Erik Guay, Maelle Ricker, Charles Hamelin and Kaillie Humphries. The
Canadian Tire Family of Companies will continue to announce new athlete
sponsorship agreements in 2013, supporting Canada's best and brightest
talent.
About Canadian Tire Corporation
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (TSX:CTC.a) (TSX:CTC) is a Family of
Companies that includes Canadian Tire Retail, Partsource, Gas+, FGL
Sports (Sport Chek, Hockey Experts, Sports Experts, National Sports, S3
and Atmosphere), Mark's, Canadian Tire Financial Services, and Canadian
Tire Jumpstart Charities. With nearly 1,700 retail and gasoline
outlets from coast-to-coast, our primary retail business categories -
Automotive, Living, Fixing, Playing and Apparel - are supported and
strengthened by our Financial Services division. More than 85,000
people are employed across the Canadian Tire enterprise, which was
founded in 1922 and remains one of Canada's most recognized and trusted
brands. Canadian Tire Retail, Sport Chek and Sports Experts are proud
to be Premier National Partners of the Canadian Olympic Team. For more
information, visit Corp.CanadianTire.ca
About Jumpstart
Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities is a national charitable program
dedicated to providing financially disadvantaged kids with the
opportunity to experience the benefits of organized sport and
recreation. With an extensive, national network of more than 332 local
chapters, Jumpstart helps kids in communities across Canada by covering
the costs associated with registration, equipment and/or
transportation. Supported by the Canadian Tire Family of Companies,
which includes Canadian Tire Retail, PartSource, Gas+, Sport Chek,
Atmosphere, Mark's and Canadian Tire Financial Services, Jumpstart has
enabled more than 600 000 Canadian kids and counting to get in the game
since 2005. For more information or to lend your support, visit jumpstart.canadiantire.ca.
About Benoit Huot
A triple medalist at the London Paralympics, Benoît is one of the
best-known Paralympic athletes in Canada and around the world. He won
nine Paralympic Games gold medals for Canada in swimming. Nicknamed
"The Shark" for his power and speed in the water and his impressive
record of achievements, he has won more than forty medals at four
Paralympic Games, three Commonwealth Games and four World
Championships. Benoît was born with a club foot. He never let his
disability slow him down; he began swimming at the age of eight.
SOURCE CANADIAN TIRE CORPORATION, LIMITED
Image with caption: "The Canadian Tire Family of Companies announced a partnership with Benoît Huot, who will become a Jumpstart ambassador. The announcement was made today during a swim clinic at Centre Jean-Claude Malépart in Montréal. From left to right: Jean Parisien, Canadian Tire vice-president for Quebec, Benoit Huot and Carole Poirier, MNA for Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and first vice-president of the Quebec National Assembly, accompanied by swim clinic participants Océanne Cyr and Boubakar Baldé (centre). (CNW Group/CANADIAN TIRE CORPORATION, LIMITED)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130812_C5386_PHOTO_EN_29781.jpg