Canadian Tire, Sport Chek and Sports Experts Celebrate One-Year Anniversary with Canada's Olympic and Paralympic Teams

Company Marks Occasion with $4 Million Pledge to the Canadian Olympic Foundation for Own the Podium Initiatives

Power of Sport Integrated into Marketing Initiatives and New Products

TORONTO, Jan. 23, 2014 /CNW/ - Today Canadian Tire, Sport Chek and Sports Experts are marking the one-year anniversary of their partnership with the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Teams by announcing a multi-year, multi-million dollar pledge that reinforces their support for Canadian athletes.

With the start of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games two weeks away, the Company is committing $4 million to the Canadian Olympic Foundation for Own the Podium initiatives over the next eight-years. Canadian Tire, Sport Chek and Sports Experts' $500,000 annual contribution will go towards helping the Canadian Olympic Foundation meet the technical, scientific, medical and coaching needs of both Canada's Olympic podium hopefuls and the next generation of Olympic athletes. The funds pledged to the Foundation are directed to sport groups that drive high performance athletic achievement.

"We are excited for the Games to start and our entire organization is ready to rally around Team Canada," said Landon French, Vice-President of Sport Partnerships at Canadian Tire. "The Canadian Olympic Foundation and Own the Podium help ensure our Olympic team continues to thrive and we are proud to support Canadian athletes because sport ignites national pride and brings families together, whether on the toboggan hill, at the local arena or in the stands of an Olympic oval."

"Supporting the young men and women on our Canadian Olympic Team is critical if we want to reach the podium as a nation," said Marcel Aubut, President of the Canadian Olympic Committee and Chair of the Canadian Olympic Foundation. "We are truly thankful to Canadian Tire, Sport Chek and Sports Experts for their continued support."

With the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games fast approaching, the Company is ushering in a new era of athletic support through the deployment of innovative marketing campaigns, athlete and media partnerships and product launches at the retail-level.

To bolster consumer awareness of their relationship with the Canadian Olympic Team, Canadian Tire, Sport Chek and Sports Experts have entered into an extensive and integrated media deal with CBC/Radio-Canada, the official broadcaster of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games. The Company has worked collaboratively with CBC/Radio-Canada to develop tailored features that align with the individual brands' marketing campaigns - resulting in a unified and integrated message.

The media partnership is further enhanced through two extensive, multi-platform marketing campaigns - Canadian Tire's 'We All Play For Canada' and Sport Chek's 'What It Takes.' Both campaigns include television, print, social and digital components and are designed to inspire Canadians at home and support of our athletes competing in Sochi.

Canadian Tire's latest #WeAllPlayForCanada commercial - known as 'Team Photo' - features Olympic Gold medalist and Chicago Blackhawk's captain, Jonathan Toews. The spot shines a light on the important role an engaged and supportive community plays in an athlete's success. The fully integrated campaign is complemented by a digital experience on WeAllPlayForCanada.ca, where visitors can watch videos featuring the stories of 15 key members of Jonathan's hometown and how they helped to get him to the podium. Canadian Tire also worked closely with CBC/Radio-Canada to develop a full documentary on Toews' 'Team Photo,' which is scheduled to air on the network February 15^th.

Inspiring Canadians to lead their own healthy, active lifestyle, Sport Chek's #WhatItTakes campaign is generating excitement for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games by celebrating the very best of Canada's high performance athletes and their journey to the podium. Partnering with 10 athletes from a cross-section of winter sports, the fully integrated campaign features exceptional behind-the-scenes digital content available on social channels, in addition to television creative, so that Canadians gain a true sense of what it takes for these athletes to achieve their goals.

The teams at Canadian Tire, Sport Chek and Sports Experts have worked with the Canadian Olympic Committee to develop products that allow Canadians to show their support for Team Canada.

In November, Sport Chek unveiled the Canadian Olympic Team High Performance Collection by adidas, which provides athletes of all levels with apparel and footwear that will enhance their performance. In time for the holidays, Canadian Tire launched Olympic-themed merchandise spanning across its Living, Playing, Fixing, Auto and Seasonal departments. Products range from toolboxes, to hockey bags to ice-scrapers and were developed alongside the Canadian Olympic Committee with Canadian Tire's vendors. In addition to providing Canadians with unique ways to show their support during the Games, a portion of the proceeds will go directly to the Canadian Olympic Team to help them reach the podium.

About Canadian Tire Corporation
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (TSX:CTC.a) (TSX:CTC) is a Family of Companies that includes Canadian Tire Retail, PartSource, Gas+, FGL Sports (Sport Chek, Hockey Experts, Sports Experts, Pro Hockey Life, National Sports, S3 and Atmosphere), Mark's, Canadian Tire Financial Services, and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities. With nearly 1,700 retail and gasoline outlets from coast-to-coast, our primary retail business categories - Automotive, Living, Fixing, Playing and Apparel - are supported and strengthened by our Financial Services division. More than 85,000 people are employed across the Canadian Tire enterprise, which was founded in 1922 and remains one of Canada's most recognized and trusted brands. Canadian Tire Retail, Sport Chek and Sports Experts are proud to be Premier National Partners of the Canadian Olympic Team. For more information, visit Corp.CanadianTire.ca

SOURCE: CANADIAN TIRE CORPORATION, LIMITED