British Columbia Alpine Ski Association partners with Bell Canada

British Columbia Alpine Ski Association partners with Bell Canada{mosimage}The British Columbia Alpine Ski Association announced on June 22 that they have made a three-year partnership with Bell Canada that is giving.

Through an agreement that involves significant cash and in-kind communications products and services, Bell will become the official telecommunications sponsor of the BC Alpine Ski Association.

Bell will also become the official sponsor of the BC Alpine Best with Best (B2B) program, which provides intensive training for 14 elite-level skiers aged 15 to 19 from throughout the province. Further, Bell will be supporting the Vancouver Ski Team.

“Bell Canada’s commitment, along with support from 2010 Legacies Now through its Game Plan BC program, is enabling us to provide our most promising athletes with additional training and the best coaches,” said Bruce Goldsmid, General Manager of BC Alpine. “Our elite-level B2B team is already out on the slopes training, preparing for the start of the competitive ski season in December.”

“Bell Canada is proud to be part of a program that is focused on getting B.C. athletes on the podium,” said Paul Healey, President, Western Canada, Bell Canada. “Bell has been involved with BC Alpine for a number of years, and this expanded relationship will assist more skiers in gaining critical national and international experience.”

“We’re really lucky to be getting this much training in so early in the year,” said Jeff Stahr, an 18-year-old member of the Vancouver Ski Team participating in the B2B program. “Having Glenn Thompson, former head coach of the Canadian Alpine Development Ski Team, come back to B.C. to work with us is also a huge plus.”

The BC Alpine Vancouver Ski Team is made up of the strongest skiers from the three clubs in the Lower Mainland-Cypress, Grouse and Seymour. Their year-round program has them compete throughout Western Canada, with their primary training at Cypress Mountain. Bell Canada and Cypress Mountain announced an eight-year sponsorship agreement in April, 2004.

–from wire reports