KidSport & Saputo Announce Multiyear Partnership Renewal


Saputo to contribute $600,000 So ALL Kids Can Play!

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Feb. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KidSport™ is proud to announce a three-year partnership renewal with Saputo Inc. (TSX: SAP) as they continue striving to help get more children and youth off the sidelines and into the game. Since partnering together in 2018, Saputo’s $1.2M total contribution will have helped to reduce financial barriers for families and enable close to 4,000 children and youth to participate in organized sport in Canada.

“Since the onset of our partnership over three years ago, KidSport has truly exceeded our expectations as a passionate and engaged partner committed to improving the lives of children in need across Canada. Our goal is to help build healthier communities where we work, live, and play and KidSport certainly knows how to make positive change happen in an impactful, meaningful and lasting way,” said Sandy Vassiadis, Vice President, Communications & Corporate Responsibility at Saputo.  

The commitment to help build better communities will also be evidenced through the launch of the “Play Outside” campaign under Saputo’s Dairyland brand across Western Canada this spring, where every participating product purchased will help kids play sport. Saputo and its Dairyland brand proudly stand behind the idea that every child deserves to play, to learn new skills, to make new friends, and most of all, to have fun! One in three Canadian families are unable to afford the cost of organized sport -the reason why Dairyland has partnered with KidSport So ALL Kids Can Play!

“At KidSport, we believe in the benefits that sport brings to our children in their physical, social and emotional development,” says Jamie Ferguson, KidSport Canada Chairperson.  “Our goal is to try and ensure that every child has the opportunity to get the head start in life that sport can provide.  We can’t do this on our own, and we are thrilled to continue our relationship with Saputo and their brand Dairyland to help make this goal a reality.  Saputo has gone beyond, affirming that they believe in stronger, healthy communities.  They are actively involved and investing in making that happen and for that we are truly thankful.”

Since its creation in 1993, KidSport has disbursed over $84M and helped over 930,000 kids from coast to coast to coast receive grants and sport introduction programming.   The power of sport at this time will now be more important than ever for the growth of children, families and our communities as a whole. KidSport and Saputo will continue to ensure that all children have the opportunity to participate.

About KidSport:
KidSport is a national not-for-profit organization with funding support provided by the Government of Canada, that helps remove financial barriers that prevent kids from playing sport by providing assistance for registration fees and sport equipment to children aged 18 and under. Through a confidential application process grants are administered through KidSport’s 166 community chapters so they can play a season of organized sport.

About Saputo:
Saputo produces, markets, and distributes a wide array of dairy products of the utmost quality, including cheese, fluid milk, extended shelf-life milk and cream products, cultured products, and dairy ingredients. Saputo is one of the top ten dairy processors in the world, a leading cheese manufacturer and fluid milk and cream processor in Canada, the top dairy processor in Australia, and the second largest in Argentina. In the USA, Saputo ranks among the top three cheese producers and is one of the largest producers of extended shelf-life and cultured dairy products. In the United Kingdom, Saputo is the largest manufacturer of branded cheese and a top manufacturer of dairy spreads. Saputo products are sold in several countries under market-leading brands, as well as private label brands. Saputo Inc. is a publicly traded company and its shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “SAP”.

For more information:
Bryan Ezako
Manager, KidSport
bezako@kidsportcanada.ca
204.925.5914