CBC and Kraft partner with NHL and NHLPA for once-in-a-lifetime prize
TORONTO, ONTARIO - January 17, 2006 -- Teamwork, cooperation and passion are traits possessed by all great teams, and great Canadian communities. CBC Television and Kraft Canada are searching for the community that best embodies the spirit of hockey and hometown pride through a new prime-time television series, Kraft Hockeyville. Every community, whether it™s a small town or situated in a big city, is invited to demonstrate its love of the game and share grassroots hockey stories to earn the title of Kraft Hockeyville. The winning community will receive $25,000 in arena upgrades from The Home Depot and a live NHL exhibition game in that arena.
"Every Canadian believes their hometown should be considered Kraft Hockeyville and now they have a chance to tell us why," says Dino Bianco, President, Kraft Canada. "Not all hockey heroics take place on the ice, and we want to hear stories about outstanding individuals and tales of teamwork inside, and outside, the arena."
"Hockey is more than a game, it™s a way of life that has brought individuals together and helped make a difference in people™s lives. These are the communities and the stories that will help us identify Kraft Hockeyville," says Richard Stursberg, Executive Vice-President of CBC Television. "Hockey is Canada™s national game and CBC is the home of hockey."
The Road to Kraft Hockeyville
Canadians can apply online at www.cbc.ca/hockeyville. Applications must be received by March 19, 2006. The search will continue to unfold in front of the entire nation with seven one-hour programs on CBC airing from March to June. Communities will be profiled on CBC TV and will eventually be narrowed down to one champion, voted by viewers and judges and announced live on June 11, 2006.
"This is a dream come true for a community, to win the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to host a live exhibition game between two Canadian NHL teams," says Ed Horne, President NHL Enterprises. "The winners will have to possess outstanding teamwork and community spirit, which is what hockey, and Canada, are all about."
Kraft Hockeyville: A Team Effort
Anyone can apply, from small towns, to communities in the centre of our biggest cities. Canadians can also help their community earn the title and host an NHL exhibition game, by watching the program and voting for their community.
"Members of the NHLPA are excited to participate in Kraft Hockeyville and play an exhibition game in the winning community™s arena in front of local fans," said Ted Saskin, Executive Director of the National Hockey League Players™ Association. "The players remember what it was like playing in both indoor and outdoor rinks in their own communities, so this will be a great chance for them to step out of the big NHL arenas and return to their early hockey roots."
For more information on Kraft Hockeyville or to download an application form, visit www.cbc.ca/hockeyville.
Kraft Foods markets many of the world™s leading food brands, including Kraft cheese, Maxwell House and Jacobs coffees, Philadelphia cream cheese, Post cereals and Milka chocolates, in more than 155 countries. In Canada, company brands include Kraft Dinner macaroni and cheese, Christie cookies and crackers including Bits&Bites and Crispers, Kraft Peanut Butter and Nabob Coffee.
CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. CBC/Radio-Canada reaches Canadians through eight national radio and television networks, its full-service Web sites, local/regional stations and affiliates, as well as the digital television channel Country Canada, and the continuous music network Galaxie. In addition, CBC/Radio-Canada has forged partnerships with other broadcasters and is a partner in The Documentary Channel and satellite radio through Sirius. Through this array of activities, CBC/Radio-Canada brings diverse regional and cultural perspectives into the daily lives of Canadians in English, French and eight aboriginal languages.
About The Home Depot
Founded in 1978, The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer with fiscal 2004 sales of $73.1 billion. The company has 2,011 stores, including 133 stores across Canada and employs approximately 325,000 associates, including more than 28,000 Canadians.
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