From left to right: Evan Bush, Montreal Impact player, Éric Lamoureux, Managing Director, Public Affairs Advisors and Chair of Centraide's 2012 NextGen Committee (the tournament organizing committee), Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire, President and Executive Director of Centraide of Greater Montreal, Joey Saputo, President of the Montreal Impact and the Stade Saputo, Lino A. Saputo, Jr., Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of the Board of Saputo and co-chair of Centraide's 2012 campaign, Annamaria Testani, Vice-President National Sales at National Bank of Canada as well as Patrice Bernier, Montreal Impact player. They are accompanied by the Montreal Impact mascot Tac-Tik.
Montreal, September 29, 2012 – A group of 400 amateur athletes from 25 Montreal companies take to the field today at Stade Saputo for the very first Centraide Cup, a charity soccer tournament to raise money to fight poverty. The competition, which will take place throughout the day, has raised $250,000 for Centraide's cause and the 370 community agencies in its network, which help 500,000 vulnerable people in Montreal, in Laval and on the South Shore.
The tournament, which promises to be full of excitement, was organized by Centraide's NextGen Committee, a committee of volunteers chaired by Éric Lamoureux, Managing Director, Public Affairs Advisors, in collaboration with the Montreal Impact.
The participating companies include Aon Hewitt, Laurentian Bank, National Bank, Scotia Bank, BMO Financial Group, Bombardier, CIBC, Desjardins, Dessau, Ferreira Café, SNC-Lavalin, Hydro-Québec, Industrielle Alliance, Intact Insurance, The Jean Coutu Group, Pharmascience, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Québecor/TVA Sports, RBC Royal Bank, Rolls-Royce Canada, Samson Bélair/Deloitte & Touche, Saputo, Sobeys, Standard Life and TD Canada Trust. The winning team of the coveted Centraide Cup will be crowned after the early-evening final.
"Seeing all of these organizations lend us their support—and their employees donate their time and energy for Centraide's cause—is highly inspiring and very encouraging for our upcoming fundraising campaign," stated Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire, President and Executive Director of Centraide of Greater Montreal. "I would like to thank all of the organizations that made this first edition of the Centraide Cup a success on all fronts, along with the Montreal Impact for its valuable contribution."
The proceeds from this event will go towards Centraide Campaign 2012, which will officially kick off on October 3 with Centraide's March of 1,000 Umbrellas, during which 20,000 people are expected to fill the streets of downtown Montreal. The theme of this year's campaign is "Donating is uplifting."
About Centraide of Greater Montreal
Centraide of Greater Montreal is an independent organization managed by a board of directors that is representative of the community. Over half a million disadvantaged people receive help and comfort on a daily basis from the 370 community agencies and projects supported by Centraide. Its vast network includes over 80,000 volunteers, including 57,000 in the community sector. For more information about Centraide of Greater Montreal or to make a donation: www.centraide-mtl.org.
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