Wednesday, January 25, 2006 – Montreal – ING Insurance and ING DIRECT have teamed up to announce that they will be a Premier Partner of Canada’s national speed skating teams. The partnership, valued at $2 million over six years, builds upon ING’s existing association with speed skating.
“Today’s announcement confirms our long-term commitment to Canada’s national speed skating teams,” says Jacques Valotaire, Executive Vice President, ING Canada. “It marks the perfect fit between the outstanding dedication, performance and achievement of Canada’s championship speed skaters and ING’s strong performance track record in providing customer service excellence and high value products.”
“We are thrilled to have ING as a Premier Partner,” said Jean Dupr�, Director General of Speed Skating Canada. “ING�s support will help us achieve our goal of becoming the best speed skating nation in the world.”
Together, ING and Speed Skating Canada will work to build support for Canada’s speed skating athletes, by helping them to become the best the world has to offer. They will also be working at the grassroots level to introduce speed skating into elementary schools and provide skating skills instruction.
ING’s partnership with Speed Skating Canada also complements their sponsorships of high visibility events like the Montreal Bike Fest and the ING Ottawa Marathon, as well as the activities of the ING Foundation, which supports projects that help young Canadians to develop their full potential. “It�s just one more good thing we are doing to support our communities,” adds Scott Lugar, Chief Marketing Officer, ING DIRECT.
About ING
ING Insurance is the largest provider of property and casualty insurance in Canada, providing automobile, property and liability insurance to individuals and businesses through insurance brokers across the country. ING DIRECT has been inspiring Canadians to save their money since 1997 and now has over 1.3 million clients. They offer high value, simple-to-use products that help Canadians save their money with no fees or service charges on deposits and mortgages.
About Speed Skating Canada
Speed Skating Canada is the national governing body responsible for the advancement and growth of speed skating in Canada. Its core purpose is to support high performance excellence at the international level and provide leadership in developmental programs. With 140 skating clubs in 13 provinces and territories, Speed Skating Canada is dedicated to providing skating programs for every skill level in Canada.
Speed Skating Canada is a not for profit, charitable organization operating under a Policy Governance Model with an elected board of directors.