RONA Announces the Refurbishment of the Transcona Optimist Park Football Field in Winnipeg

BOUCHERVILLE, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Oct. 5, 2012) - RONA inc. (TSX:RON)(TSX:RON.PR.A), the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products, is proud to announce the major refurbishment of the Transcona Optimist Park football field in Winnipeg through its Home Field Advantage program. This $30,000 investment, primarily in materials, will have direct and tangible benefits for the community.

Throughout the 100^th Grey Cup Tour, RONA is gradually revealing the names of the eight football fields to be restored in communities where Canadian Football League (CFL) teams are based. As announced earlier this summer, this program involves a total investment of $240,000.

"As a partner of the CFL since 2000 and the official presenter of the 100^th Grey Cup Tour, RONA is proud to bring the excitement of the Grey Cup to football fans across Canada," said Karim Salabi, Executive Vice President, Marketing. "We'll also have a unique opportunity to restore eight local football fields where families and friends gather to share their passion for the game," he added.

RONA is the official presenter of the 100^th Grey Cup Tour, a trans-Canada train journey designed to inspire Canadians to celebrate the Grey Cup, to be held in Toronto on November 25. The train schedule is available at greycuptour.ca.

In-store tailgate party

As part of the Tour, RONA will host 14 in-store tailgate parties across the country, events where visitors can have their picture taken with the Grey Cup. In Winnipeg, the Cup will be on display at the following RONA store:

RONA Home and Garden Winnipeg South on October 5, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
1636 Kenaston Boulevard

Employees will be on hand to answer questions and provide advice to fans who wish to host Grey Cup tailgate events at their homes. From tables and chairs to storage, seating and barbecues, local RONA stores offer everything Canadians need to prepare their homes for a major gathering. They can also visit rona.ca or install RONA's new iPhone application.

About RONA

RONA inc. (TSX:RON)(TSX:RON.PR.A) is the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, home renovation and gardening products and operates a network of more than 800 corporate, franchise and affiliate stores of various sizes and formats. With close to 30,000 employees working under its family of banners in every region of Canada, the RONA store network generates more than $6 billion in annual retail sales. Visit rona.ca for more information.

Media contact

Upon request, the RONA ambassador overseeing the refurbishment project at the Transcona Optimist Park football field is available for interviews.