Leading Retailer’s Charitable Giving Supports Non-Profit Organizations Across Canada
(TORONTO) – Golf Town – Canada’s largest golf retailer with unequaled selection and competitive prices at 39 locations coast to coast – announces it has donated $100,000 in support of various non-profit groups via its ‘Chips In’ charitable giving campaign.
The nationwide, grassroots initiative pledged $100 in Golf Town gift cards to more than 1,000 qualifying charity golf tournaments raising funds for non-profit organizations. This annual program is an integral element of the company’s philanthropy, which also includes an official partnership in the ‘Drive for a Cure’ with the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada
“It’s very important for us to support programs in the areas where we do business, and the ‘Chips In’ initiative allows us to really localize our giving and focus on the organizations that matter most in each community,” says Stephen Bebis, President and CEO of Golf Town. “Golf tournaments are a very popular fundraising activity and we’re extremely pleased to assist the efforts of many worthy causes, including those helping aid children, families and the community.”
Among the largest charitable givers in the Canadian golf industry, Golf Town has donated more than $2 million since opening its first store in 1999, including $1 million to prostate cancer research. In addition to ‘Chips In,’ the Annual Golf Town Invitational – which features PGA Tour superstars and high-profile business leaders – and Golf Town Charity Classic each year raise several hundred thousand dollars to benefit the PCRFC (www.prostatecancer.ca), which is devoted to eliminating the leading cancer threat to Canadian men ages 40-55.
The 2009 ‘Chips In’ campaign will begin accepting requests for donations on January 1, 2009. Eligibility information and applications can be found online at www.golftown.com.
Golf Town offers an unbeatable selection of clubs, bags, balls, apparel, footwear, accessories, gifts, logo merchandise, promotional services and more. This includes the world’s leading golf brands, such as Adams, Bridgestone, Callaway Golf, Cleveland, Cobra, Dunning, ECCO, FootJoy, Founders Club, Gordon Cooper, Greg Norman, Honma, Hugo Boss, LaCoste, Liz Claiborne, LIJA, Mizuno, Nike Golf, Odyssey, Ogio, Paradise, Ping, Sun Mountain, TaylorMade adidas Golf, Titleist and Wilson.
For more information, please visit www.golftown.com or call 905.479.0343.
About Golf Town
Canada’s largest golf retailer, Golf Town was founded in 1999 and has grown from one location in Scarborough, ON, to 39 superstores coast to coast. At an average size of nearly 18,000 square feet, these retail centres feature all the major name-brand products at the best price, ensuring customers find what they want, when they want it.
A centre of the Canadian golf community for individuals and organizations, Golf Town locations serve as sanctuaries where players of all ages and abilities try, buy, learn about and improve their games. The largest employer of CPGA professionals, Golf Town offers on-site lessons tailored to an individual’s needs through its In-Store Academy.
The retailer has also established Canada’s leading customer advantage initiative via its Leaderboard Membership Privileges Program. Benefits of this free membership include the chance to win a $500 gift card in a national monthly drawing; timely e-newsletters; members-only special offers on equipment, accessories, golf lessons, in-store events; and more.
Golf Town was acquired by OMERS Capital Partners, the entity responsible for private equity investments of the OMERS pension fund, in September 2007. For more information: www.omerscapital.com.
Already a leader in logo products for golf events and other programs, Golf Town purchased Accolade Reaction Promotion Group, Inc., in May and has created a one-stop-shop for the promotional needs of businesses, meeting planners, sales and marketing executives, and human resource professionals. Named a 2008 Top 40 Distributor by the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI), ARPG is the first Canadian corporate merchandise services firm to achieve ASI Top 40 Status. For more information: www.arpg.ca.
Contact:
Kevin Satz
Buffalo Communications
703.891.3394
ksatz@billycaspergolf.com