Saputo Continues To Support Athletes and Sports
Montreal , November 4, 2009 - Today, Saputo Inc. awarded bursaries totalling $79, 000 to 25 athletes as part of the Saputo Bursary Program, which is managed by the Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence.
This initiative is perfectly aligned with Saputo’s objective to promote physical activity and a balanced lifestyle. Saputo already plays an important role in supporting sports in Québec and is now ensuring a presence internationally through its sponsorship of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver, which will be held in exactly 100 days. Furthermore, Saputo is partners with the Canadian Olympic teams of the last summer Beijing Games and the upcoming Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympic Games. Saputo is the Official Supplier of Packaged Dairy Products for the 2010 Games as well as for the Canadian Olympic Team.
For 9 years now, Saputo has proudly supported talented athletes, who work hard on a daily basis to be the best in their respective discipline. Saputo shares their passion and desire to surpass themselves to achieve their personal objectives. The Saputo bursary recipients are a source of inspiration. Their determination, courage and perseverance enable them to be commendable ambassadors of sports and role models.
Among the bursary recipients this year, some excelled on the international scene last September. Firstly, Olympic wrestler Martine Dugrenier, who won her second consecutive World Championship title is supported by Saputo for a 5 th year. Cyclist Martin Gilbert, winner of Stage 7 of 2009 Tour of Missouri, will receive a 7 th Saputo bursary, while short track speed skater Valérie Maltais, a Saputo bursary recipient since 2006, qualified for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games. Other notable mentions include athletes in final preparations to qualify for the next Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver 2010. They include cross country skier, Dasha Gaiazova, who has been sponsored by Saputo for 7 years, freestyle skiers (moguls) Vincent Marquis, second-time bursary recipient, and sisters Maxime and Chloé Dufour-Lapointe who began receiving support from Saputo 4 years ago. This year, Saputo also encouraged 9 of the best female soccer players between the ages of 15 and 18, identified as Hopeful or Elite. This selection was made in collaboration with the Québec Soccer Federation.
2009 SAPUTO BURSARY RECIPIENT
|
Name/Age |
Sport |
Residence |
Important recent results |
|
Joakim Albert / 15 yrs old |
Cycling, short track and long track speed skating |
St-Augustin-de-Desmaures |
2008 short track juvenile National Champion and silver medalist at the 2009 junior National Championships in cycling (sprint). |
|
Meaghan Benfeito / 20 yrs old |
Diving |
Montreal |
4 th on 10 meters individual and 10 meters synchro at the 2009 World Championships. |
|
Julie Casselman / 17 yrs old |
Soccer |
Gatineau |
Silver medalist and first team all-star at the 2009 Canada Games. |
|
Catherine Charron-Delage |
Soccer |
Longueuil |
Played with with the Laval Comètes in the Women’s League in 2009. |
|
Laura Chénard / 18 yrs old |
Soccer |
Sainte-Luce |
Received the golden ball trophy (most valuable player) in the Quebec Elite Soccer League in 2008. |
|
Stéphane Cossette / 20 yrs old |
Cycling |
Saguenay |
Silver medalist in sprint and 7 th at the kilo and keirin events at the 2009 Pan-American Championships. |
|
Marilou Dozois-Prévost |
Weightlifting |
Montreal |
2008 and 2009 senior National Champion and 10 th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. |
|
Chloé Dufour-Lapointe / 17 yrs old |
Freestyle skiing - moguls |
Montreal |
Bronze medalist in dual at the 2009 World Cup and silver medalist in dual at the 2009 senior National Championships. |
|
Justine |
Freestyle skiing - moguls |
Montreal |
4 th in dual at the 2009 Nor-Am in Calgary and 10 th in single at the 2009 Nor-Am in Colorado. |
|
Maxime |
Freestyle skiing - moguls |
Montreal |
4 th in dual at the 2009 World Cup and bronze medalist in dual at the 2009 senior National Championships. |
|
Martine Dugrenier / 30 yrs old |
Olympic wrestling |
Montreal |
2009 World Champion for a second consecutive year and 5 th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. |
|
Dasha Gaiazova / 25 yrs old |
Cross country skiing |
Montreal / Canmore |
29 th at the 1.3 km sprint and 47 th at the 10 km pursuit at the 2009 World Championships. |
|
Martin Gilbert / 27 yrs old |
Cycling |
Châteauguay |
Winner of Stage 7 of the 2009 Tour of Missouri and 12 th in the madison race at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. |
|
Amanda Goulet / 15 yrs old |
Soccer |
Québec |
Participated in the U-17 2009 National Team training camp and was selected for a second camp in January 2010. |
|
Sabrina Hémond / 16 yrs old |
Soccer |
Sherbrooke |
Co-captain and gold medalist a the U16 national all-stars Championship in 2008 and 2009. |
|
Simon Lambert-Lemay |
Cycling |
St-Ours |
9 th on road race at the 2008 junior World Championships. |
|
Cynthia Leblanc / 18 yrs old |
Soccer |
Granby |
8 th at the U-17 2008 World Cup in New Zealand. |
|
Valérie Maltais / 19 yrs old |
Short track speed skating |
Saguenay |
Bronze medalist at the 3 000 m relay and 11 th at the 1 500 m at the 2009 World Championships. |
|
Vincent Marquis / 24 yrs old |
Freestyle skiing — moguls |
Québec |
5 th in dual at the 2009 World Cup and bronze medalist in single and 4 th in dual at the 2009 World Championships. |
|
Joëlle Numainville |
Cycling |
Laval |
Gold medalist on road race at the 2009 Pan-American Championships and 16 th at the 2009 Montreal World Cup. |
|
Amelia Pietrangelo |
Soccer |
Laval |
Gold medalist at the U16 2009 national all-stars Championships. |
|
Mickaël Poulin / 21 yrs old |
Wheel chair basketball |
Ancienne-Lorette |
Now a member of the senior National Team and silver medalist at the 2009 Rollers Cup. |
|
Adrianne Provost |
Cycling |
Terrebonne |
Silver medalist at the 2009 junior Na tional Championships individual time trial and 22 nd at the 2009 World Championships. |
|
Annie Renaud / 16 yrs old |
Soccer |
Saint-Eustache |
Participated in the U-17 2009 National Team training camp. |
|
Sophie Thérien |
Soccer |
Kirkland |
Gold medalist at the U16 2009 national all-stars Championships. |
About Saputo
Saputo produces, markets and distributes a wide array of products of the utmost quality, including cheese, fluid milk, yogurt, dairy ingredients and snack-cakes. Saputo is the 11th largest dairy processor in the world, the largest in Canada, the third largest in Argentina, among the top 3 cheese producers in the United States and the largest snack-cake manufacturer in Canada. Our products are sold in more than 40 countries under well-known brand names such as Saputo, Alexis de Portneuf, Armstrong, Baxter, Dairyland, Danscorella, De Lucia, Dragone, DuVillage 1860, Frigo Cheese Heads, Kingsey, La Paulina, Neilson, Nutrilait, Ricrem, Stella, Treasure Cave, HOP&GO!, Rondeau and Vachon. Saputo is a publicly traded company whose shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol SAP.
About the Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence
The mission of the Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence is to support and encourage student-athletes in their pursuit of excellence and to promote athletes as role models in Québec society. By the end of 2009, through its various bursary programs, the Foundation will have handed out about $600,000. www.faeq.com
Information
|
Karine Vachon |
Annie Pelletier |
|
Advisor, Communications |
Communication Coordinator |
|
Saputo Inc. |
FAEQ |
|
514-328-3377 |
514-252-3171, ext. 3538 |
Information
Sandy Vassiadis
Director, Corporate Communications
Saputo Inc.
514-328-3347
Annie Pelletier
Communications Director
Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence
514-252-3171, ext. 3538
