News Releases
Bank of Montreal is pleased to sign on with the Association r�gionale de soccer de Laval (ARS Laval) as the organization's lead sponsor for a three-year period. ARS Laval brings together nearly 10,600 male and female soccer players.
“Soccer provides us with an excellent opportunity to deepen our relationships with the population of Laval and our customers,” said Fran�ois Hudon, Senior Vice-President, Quebec Division, BMO Bank of Montreal.
“We are extremely pleased to associate the BMO brand with the world's most popular sport, with the people who play it so enthusiastically and with a dynamic and involved association,” added Mario Rigante, Vice-President, Laval and Northwest Quebec Region, BMO Bank of Montreal. Mr. Rigante also stressed that athletes and sports are often a source of motivation and inspiration that drives us to excel in our work and recreational activities, irrespective of our field.
BMO Bank of Montreal will sponsor several of the association's events. These include the ARS Laval National BMO Tournament in February 2008; the Festival r�cr�atif BMO de Laval, which will attract more than 200 local-class male and female teams in the U 07 to U 16 categories from July 13 to 15; and the Jeux techniques BMO on July 15, at which the two top players from each club in the U 10 and U 12 age groups will compete in six skill-testing challenges. BMO will also sponsor the Festival 4X4 BMO, which will bring together four to six-year olds on September 8 and 9; the regional finals of the BMO Laval league on September 8, 9 and 16; and ARS Laval's Gala m�ritas BMO on October 20.
ARS Laval president Pierre Marchand said, “I am delighted BMO will be working with us for three years to help us reach our objectives. This increasingly popular sport has many needs that must be met to satisfy soccer players, and the partnership with BMO will go a long way toward ensuring we achieve this goal.”
BMO is also the official bank and a primary partner of the Canadian Soccer Association. Most notably, BMO is the title sponsor of the BMO National Championships and of Canada's National Soccer Stadium, BMO Field.
In 2006, BMO Financial Group contributed $32.1 million in corporate donations and sponsorships, supporting hundreds of organizations across the country. BMO Bank of Montreal has 160 branches in Quebec, including 11 in Laval.
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