Equipment to be used at 33 bases across Canada and abroad for programming, leagues and community events

TORONTO, July 12, 2013 /CNW/ - Today, Sport Chek announced a donation of $150,000 worth of sporting equipment to the Department of National Defence. The donation, made at Canadian Forces Base Borden and facilitated through the Support Our Troops Program, includes 5,200 pieces of product from baseball gloves to hockey sticks. The equipment will be housed at bases across Canada and used to support family events, community and on-base programs.

"At Sport Chek, our goal is to inspire Canadians to live a healthy, active lifestyle and we are honoured to contribute to the military community and help members and their families spend quality active time together. We are proud of our ongoing relationship with the great men and women in uniform - who we admire and respect - and we look forward to supporting more community and grassroots programs," said Michael Medline, President of FGL Sports - Sport Chek is a banner owned and operated by FGL Sports. "

The sporting equipment includes more than 500 pieces of hockey equipment, over 400 soccer balls, over 250 piece of baseball equipment and a wide variety of fitness gear from top brands like Nike and adidas. This equipment will be used at the sole discretion of the Canadian Armed Forces to support all their sport focused activities at 33 bases across Canada for families and soldiers. 

"I extend my sincere thanks to Sport Chek for this very generous donation of sporting equipment to the Canadian Armed Forces. Caring for our people is one of my core priorities, and as an organization we are very committed to providing quality recreation, sport, and fitness programming to our military members and their families. To that end, quality equipment plays a critical role in ensuring positive experiences and safe participation in sporting activities," said General Tom Lawson, the Chief of the Defence Staff. "This donation, received through the Support Our Troops Program, will further enhance our ability to deliver quality youth and family activity programming. This much appreciated gift will also contribute to the betterment of the morale and welfare of our men and women in uniform and their families."

This donation continues Sport Chek's tradition of supporting athletes of all abilities across Canada and community based programs like Canadian Tire Jumpstart. From shipping sports equipment to Kandahar in 2007 to supporting thousands of youth sporting teams across Canada through the Team Assist program, Sport Chek takes the responsibility of being Canada's largest sporting goods retailer as an opportunity to inspire and give back to Canadians.

About FGL Sports:  FGL Sports Ltd. is Canada's largest national retailer of sporting goods, offering a comprehensive assortment of brand-name and private-brand products and operating more than 400 stores from coast to coast, under the following corporate and franchise banners: Sport Chek, Sports Experts, Atmosphere, National Sports, Intersport, Econosports, Nevada Bob's Golf, Hockey Experts, Fitness Source, and S3. FGL Sports also has websites for several of its corporate and franchise banners which can be accessed through its main website at www.FGLSports.com.

About the Department of National Defence: www.forces.gc.ca

SOURCE: FGL Sports Ltd.