A Canada-wide sponsorship will soon have an impact on four Okanagan hockey teams.
Home improvement retailer RONA says it is supporting 85 teams from across the country through a new sponsorship program. The Vernon Vipers and Vernon North Zone Knights, as well as the Penticton Yetis and Summerland Jets, were selected locally.
"Eighty-five of our employees’ children have been chosen, in our corporate and affiliated stores, at our head office and in our distribution centres," said J.P. Towner, president and CEO of RONA. "Hockey brings people together, and this program allows us to bring hockey fever to life locally and improve access to sport for young Canadians."
The Okanagan teams will receive a sum to help them purchase equipment, reduce activity registration fees, and take part in tournaments, among other things, according to the Quebec-based store.
RONA will also provide players and their families with clothing featuring their respective team logos, it added.
“We are very proud of this commitment to sports teams because they help shape our youth," said Catherine Laporte, the company's senior vice president of marketing and customer experience.
It is unknown how much each team will receive.