(B-C-S Press Release)
Calgary – Canada’s medal-winning bobsleigh and skeleton athletes are inviting corporate Canada to join them on the track to 2014 with an exclusive season kick-off fundraising event at Flames Central in Calgary, from 5-8 p.m. on October 12, 2011.
The 2011 Ice Block Auction, hosted by Olympic silver medallist Helen Upperton along with CFL star running back and Olympian Jesse Lumsden, will provide corporate Canada with an opportunity to bid on a wide range of experiential packages with some of the nation’s best Olympic athletes that will be auctioned off by Olympic gold medallist Jon Montgomery. Some of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities up for grabs include bobsleigh rides with Olympic champion Kaillie Humphries, use of an Aston Martin for a day, and private dinners with athletes. Guests will also have the chance to rub shoulders with all of Canada’s bobsleigh and skeleton athletes including Montgomery, Humphries, Upperton, Lumsden, Mellisa Hollingsworth and Lyndon Rush.
“The success of any athlete depends largely on the support they receive from their family, their team and also their community.” said Helen Upperton, Olympic silver medallist in women’s bobsleigh, who along with her teammates are also searching for a title sponsor. “Canada was so supportive of our athletes during the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver but we still need Canada to support and invest in our team now as we prepare for Sochi in 2014. I am confident we can deliver the return on the investment. Our challenge is finding a creative way to get the Calgary community more involved in the sliding sports and also to get our athletes more engaged with the private sector across Canada. This auction presents a unique opportunity for my teammates and I to establish a close relationship with companies who can benefit from engaging themselves in our pursuit of excellence in sport, while providing the financial fuel for our drive to the podium.”
A variety of corporate ticket packages, which cost $50, will include access to the Ice Block Auction Funds raised from the Sled Auction, and will help contribute to thefinancial push Canada’s bobsleigh and skeleton athletes require to slide onto the international podium.
Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton will also unveil the new Eurotech sled that Canada’s bobsleigh athletes will be sliding in around the world this year.
For more information on the Sled Auction, please contact Don Wilson by e-mail at don.wilson@bobsleigh.ca
