MARKHAM, ON, As part of a seven-city national tour that celebrates and supports minor hockey, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. will offer seven Tucson vehicles to be won by raffle in each city with all proceeds going to support the local hockey programs. The Hyundai Hockey Nation tour also includes clinics led by high-profile coaches and talent to help kids develop better hockey skills, as well as a community festival with games, prizes, and entertainment.
"As any parent of a hockey player knows, fundraising is a big part of minor hockey," said John Vernile, Vice President of Marketing at Hyundai Canada. "With plenty of cargo room and seating for five, the Tucson is the perfect vehicle for hockey families. So, we thought offering up a vehicle in each of the seven cities would be a great way to ease some of that burden felt by parents and teams."
All funds raised by the community in the raffle will be kept with the community to support minor hockey and local hockey programs. The Hyundai Hockey Nation tour will hit the following cities and hockey arenas:
Vancouver (Dec 3-5) - Langley Event Centre
Edmonton (Dec 10-12) - West Edmonton Mall
Calgary (Dec 17-19) - Cardel Place
Ottawa/Kanata (Jan 7-9, 2011) - Sensplex
Montreal (Jan 14-16) - Dollard-des-Ormeaux Arena
Toronto (Jan 21-23) - Mastercard Centre
Halifax (Jan 28-30) - Cole Harbour Place
The tour events will start on Friday night with a coaching symposium while Saturday and Sunday are reserved for player clinics. A community festival also takes place at each location over the course of the weekend. To enrol a player in the clinics or to register for the coaching symposium, please visit cbchockeynation.ca/register.
"The aim for the hockey clinics is to teach young players, their parents, and coaches the elements of playing smart," said Vernile. "Because the clinics will be led by elite hockey talent and coaches, these kids have a chance to learn some real skills. Playing smart not only translates into fewer injuries, but it also helps players elevate their game."
During the off-ice community festivals, Hyundai will be hosting on-site vehicle test drives. For every vehicle test driven at the festival, Hyundai will donate an additional $10 in support of local minor hockey initiatives.
Hyundai Auto Canada, established in 1983 and headquartered in Markham Ontario, is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout Canada by Hyundai Auto Canada and are sold and serviced through more than 195 dealerships nationwide.
