MISSISSAUGA, Ontario and OTTAWA and TORONTO — DFO (@OntarioMilk) has partnered with the Ottawa Senators (@Senators) and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) which includes the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC, and Toronto Argonauts, as part of a multi-year commitment to making sports more accessible for young Ontario athletes. In addition to promoting the proven benefits of milk, the partnerships will focus on advancing grassroots and community sport initiatives and developing new sporting events and opportunities for youth at the community level.
DFO will work with both the Ottawa Senators and MLSE on custom pro and grassroots activations, promotions, and youth engagement opportunities to fully integrate sports, healthy lifestyle education, and food literacy activities in the community. Beyond partnership and promotion, all three organizations are committed to bringing real and meaningful sport and engagement opportunities to their fans and communities.
Ralph Dietrich, DFO Chair, says “the partnership perfectly integrates with the values and efforts of Ontario dairy farmers in their local communities. The campaign is a grassroots effort that brings local communities together around a common vision: healthy, active lifestyles and opportunities for youth. This is something Ontario dairy farmers believe in and something the partnership with the Ottawa Senators and MLSE can help us build on.”
Graham Lloyd, DFO General Manager and CEO, has played hockey his whole life and continues to play and coach up to this day. “I’ve seen personally both the need and the benefits of reducing barriers to entry for sport for young people, and the positive effects of sport experiences that last a lifetime. DFO is proud to partner with the Ottawa Senators and MLSE to extend our common perspective and we look forward to working together to help get more kids into sport, while recognizing a healthy, nutritious lifestyle with dairy. There is so much beyond partnership we can do together as a provincial team.”
"We are delighted to become a Dairy Farmers of Ontario Partner," said Mark Bonneau, Ottawa Senators senior vice-president, corporate sales. "Whether through our Sensplex programs or our broader community engagement, improving accessibility to sport for youth in the National Capital region is our top priority. This partnership puts us in the best possible position to sharpen that focus."
”MLSE strives to enhance the fan experience in and outside the arena through strategic and engaging partnerships,” says Jeff Deline, Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships. “Our work with Dairy Farmers of Ontario will help us reach our young fans through sport initiatives and create a new generation of athletes.”
Planned activations of DFO’s Recharge With Milk (www.RechargeWithMilk.ca) and Stay Real With Milk banners with the Ottawa Senators will promote milk as part of a highly effective component of a healthy and athletic lifestyle, and will include special segments with the Ottawa Senators’ Strength and Conditioning Coach, Chris Schwarz, in-stadium and in-game promotions and activations, support for the Bell Capital Cup tournament, Fanfest event support, and in-stadia culinary activations.
The DFO-MLSE program will feature in-game events and promotions, new and ground-breaking original content, and efforts at integrating resources to introduce new youth tournaments to Ontario and help amplify exciting MLSE grassroots basketball and soccer events. In-stadium signage will also be visible at Maple Leafs, Raptors, Toronto FC, and Toronto Argonauts games.
About Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO)
www.milk.org | rechargewithmilk.ca
DFO is the marketing group for the largest sector of Ontario agriculture and is proudly owned and operated by Ontario’s dairy farming families.
For more information, please contact Laural Adams at: laural.adams@milk.org
Engage with us on Twitter: @DairyOntario
Like us on Facebook: @OntarioDairy
Follow us on Instagram: @ontariodairy
About the Ottawa Senators
www.ottawasenators.com
One of seven NHL franchises based in Canada, the Ottawa Senators returned to the league in 1992 following a 58-year absence. Ottawa won 11 Stanley Cups during its original reign from 1903 to 1934. The modern-day Senators have captured four titles in the Northeast Division and a Presidents' Trophy in 2002-03. The Senators, together with its foundation, alumni, corporate partners and fans have contributed more than $100 million to community and initiatives in the National Capital Region since 1992.
For more information, please contact: Brian Morris at: morrisb@ottawasenators.com
Visit the Senators website: www.ottawasenators.com
Engage with the Senators on Twitter: @Senators
Like the Senators on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ottawasenators
Follow the Senators on Instagram: senators
About MLSE
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) one of the world's premier sports and entertainment companies, owns the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Toronto Raptors (NBA), Toronto FC (MLS), Toronto Argonauts (CFL), Toronto Marlies (AHL), Raptors 905 (NBA D-League), TFC II (USL) and Raptors Uprising Gaming Club, the Toronto Raptors esports franchise in the NBA 2K League. Its charitable arm, MLSE Foundation, focuses on funding initiatives to support youth through sport and recreational programs. In 2017 MLSE Foundation, with support of community and corporate partners, built MLSE LaunchPad, a 42,000-sq. ft. space dedicated to programming that support its four Pillars: Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Ready For School and Ready For Work. MLSE also owns and operates Scotiabank Arena, Canada’s premier sports & entertainment venue hosting more than 200 events each year, two digital channels – Leafs Nation Network and NBA TV Canada and has a partnership with Live Nation – the biggest concert promoter in the world. MLSE has also invested in and operates five of Toronto's sports facilities – Coca-Cola Coliseum, BMO Field, BMO Training Grounds at Downsview Park, home of Toronto FC's Academy and the First Team's practice facility, the Toronto Raptors’ training facility and the MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence, the practice facility for the Maple Leafs and Marlies.
Source: Dairy Farmers of Ontario
