FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RONA and MS Society of Canada sign
three-year agreement
Title sponsorship and Keys to a Cure promotion locked in
Toronto, May 10, 2007 –The MS Society of Canada
and RONA Inc. (TSX: RON), have signed a three-year renewal agreement giving
the home renovation
retailer title sponsorship rights to the RONA MS Bike Tours for
an additional three years.
The agreement is valued at more than $1 million over its term.
Key components include advertising support and RONA gift
certificates to be used as prizes for the event.
In addition,
RONA will continue its annual “Keys to a Cure” promotion
at checkout counters in support of the MS Society. Paper keys
will be sold for $2 each and offered to RONA customers at checkout during
May,
MS Awareness Month.
“We are extremely grateful for RONA’s commitment to the MS
cause which is unwavering and unequivocal,” says Yves Savoie, national
president and chief executive of the MS Society and president
of the MS Society’s Ontario Division. “What is most inspiring
are the contributions of hundreds of RONA employees who ride, fundraise
and commit
time & energy in the name of ending MS.”
RONA has been the title sponsor of the MS Society’s cycling events
since 2004. Since they began their sponsorship, funds raised
from the event have increased from $4.9 million in 2004 to $7 million
in 2006.
During this time, employee contributions have totaled more than
$144,000 through team participation and in-store fundraising.
The RONA MS Bike Tour is the country’s largest non-profit cycling
series with 22 events in Canada. Over 10,000 cyclists participated
in the one- and two-day tours that take place over the summer and early
fall.
To get involved with the RONA MS Bike Tours, MS Awareness Month
or for more information on the RONA “Keys to a Cure” campaign,
please contact the MS Society of Canada at 1-800-268-7582 or
visit www.mssociety.ca.
About multiple sclerosis and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of
Canada
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease of the
brain and spinal cord. It is the most common neurological disease
of young adults in Canada. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the
ages of
15 and 40, and the unpredictable effects of MS last for the rest
of their lives. The MS Society provides services to people with MS and
their families
and funds research to find the cause and cure for this disease.
Please visit www.mssociety.ca or
call 1-800-268-7582 to make a donation or for more information.
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For more information:
Stewart Wong
National Manager, Media Relations
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada
Telephone: 416-967-3025
stewart.wong@mssociety.ca
www.mssociety.ca
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