SPONSORSHIP IN AMATEUR SPORTS:
By Al Gowriluk
The sponsorship of local amateur
sports is critical to its success and
popularity. The Winnipeg Ringette
League (WRL) is selling themselves,
and corporate Winnipeg is buying.
2016 is the 7th year that Boston Pizza
has been part of the WRL all-star game.
BP supplies the jerseys for each player
on all 4 teams to wear and to keep as
a memento of playing in this pinnacle
game. BP also donates a dinner for 4
for the “Score For 4” game. Score for 4,
is a ringette skill based game developed
by the WRL for events such as this.
One of the most sought after prizes at
the all-star game, is surprisingly NOT
on the ice, it’s the “Boston Pizza, Wear
Your Jersey” contest, where every WRL
player who wears their jersey to the
event is entered to win a wind-up for
their entire team.
3 U 14 Skills winners L-R Brenna Bedosky,
Jordan O’Leary, Reegan Vanstone Lionel
The Vickar automotive group has
the naming rights for the U 14 skills
competition. This year, each winner
went home with some very impressive
hardware. Each team in the U 14
division submits a player in each of
3 categories. Three separate videos
to explain exactly what is expected
of each participant are posted online. This is done not only to explain
the skill but to bring the level
of nervousness down to a
bearable point.
The 2016 Vickar Automotive
Group’s U14 skills competiton
were won by;
• Fastest Skater: Brenna
Bedosky, Dakota Thunder “A”,
21.51 seconds
• Goalie: Reegan Vanstone,
Portage Thunder “B”, 8 out of 8
• Hardest Shot: Jordan O’Leary,
Greendell Falcons “C”, 50 MPH
(80 Km/H)
PremaMan East continues to
sponsor the “Prema U19 Play Maker
of the Game” award where a player on
each of the 4 teams wins a PremaMan
East Play Maker of the All-Star Game
hoodie. Prema Man. East President
and 2015 MRA
Coach of the
Year Joe Cabral
has always
coached with the
philosophy that
the assist is more
important than the
goal.
The SportsXpress
is the ringette go to
store in the province.
Their wide selection
of product and
knowledge of the
game truly gives
them a skate up on
WRL
30 / sportslife
Boston PIzza Score For 4 Game
the competition. The Sports Xpress
who not only sponsors the ASG, but
the league as a whole. Their ad in the
WRL rulebook, complete with on-line
coupons for ringette players, plays
right into the niche that owners Donna
& Bill McCartney are carving out for
ringette players. The SportsXpress 1803
Main Street.
With all the sponsors and fans,
events like the ASG couldn’t happen
without the volunteers. The officials,
members of the Garden City ACES U
16 & the Open ACES teams help out
as well. The voice of the WRL all-star
game Andrew Brown and the MC for
the U 14 skills always from Virgin 103.1
FM. l
Game action during 2016
All-Star Game at IcePlex