Molson Coors Canada Inks New Sponsorship With NASCAR In Canada

NEW YORK, N.Y. (Dec. 9, 2010) -- The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and Molson Coors Canada, a division of MolsonCoors, today announced a partnership in Canada in which the Keystone Light brand will become the Official Beer of NASCAR in Canada and the Official Beer of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

As an official partner, Keystone Light will have the ability to leverage the NASCAR logo on its packaging and throughout its national advertising campaigns. In addition, Keystone Light will participate in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Prize Money and Decal Program with the Keystone Light Pole Award. The award will be given to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series driver who posts the fastest qualifying time each race of the season. Under the agreement, the brand will also secure pouring rights at multiple facilities the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series visits.

This partnership includes a robust media component on TSN and TSN.ca comprising of spots, billboards and custom features in NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Canadian Tire Series broadcasts. The brand will also activate a national NASCAR promotion featuring VIP NASCAR race weekend experiences that bring Keystone Light drinkers up close and personal to the action on the race track.

“NASCAR Canada is extremely pleased to partner with Keystone Light and help grow its brand among passionate and devoted stock car racing fans using the NASCAR Canada platform,” said Randy Paul, managing director, NASCAR Canada.  “To have a brand like Keystone Light, which has a successful history of supporting stock car racing in the U.S., working in partnership with NASCAR Canada is a testament to the popularity of NASCAR racing in Canada and its fans across the country.”

“Coors Light and Keystone Light have been terrific partners in the U.S., and we’re very excited to help Keystone Light expand its NASCAR relationship across the border into Canada,” said Jim O’Connell, vice president of corporate marketing for NASCAR. “With the NASCAR fan base evenly spread across Canada, we anticipate the sport can bring strong results to Keystone Light’s national promotions and retail activation.”

“The opportunity to partner with such a strong brand as NASCAR offers Keystone Light access to a growing fan base, providing immediate legitimacy with the loyal enthusiasts and casual followers of the sport,” said Kristi Knowles, vice president marketing for Molson Coors Canada.  “We're planning to genuinely integrate the Keystone brand within the NASCAR Canada community – many who already happen to be Keystone fans.  Our aim is not to be a spectator sponsor but to be right there as the checkered flag is waved.”  

With 12 points events in 2011 at Canada’s premier oval track facilities and largest road racing tracks, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series is Canada’s premier motorsport and only national motorsport championship. The series, which launched in 2007, features Canada’s top teams and drivers competing on both oval and road courses, and as a companion event to other major in-market events.  The series stages races in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

NASCAR is the #1 motorsports property on television in Canada. Today, 6.8 million adult Canadians are NASCAR fans, up from 5.8 million in 2004. NASCAR fans hail evenly from all parts of Canada, making up over a quarter of the population in each Canadian province.

About NASCAR Canada: NASCAR Canada, a partnership between NASCAR and TSN Events, a division of TSN within the CTVglobemedia family, Canada’s leading multi-media company, was created in 2004 to manage the growth of the NASCAR brand in Canada through sponsorship, licensing, and marketing initiatives. TSN, which has been broadcasting NASCAR races across Canada since 1984, brought to Canadian fans more than 80 NASCAR race broadcasts in 2010.

About Molson Coors Canada: With roots dating back to 1786 and a time-honoured tradition of brewing quality beers, Molson Coors Canada is proud to be the nation's pre-eminent brewer. The Company proudly offers some of the most popular brands in Canada with an award-winning brand portfolio that includes Molson Canadian, Coors Light, Keystone, Keystone Light, Molson Dry and Rickard's. Molson Coors Canada also partners with other leading brewers to offer such global brands as Heineken, Corona, Miller Genuine Draft, and Foster's Lager. The Company employs 3,000 Canadians, operates six breweries, including the boutique brewery Creemore, and invests in communities from coast-to-coast through its various charitable initiatives and sports and entertainment sponsorships. Molson Coors Canada is part of the Molson Coors Brewing Company.

From NASCAR

Gymnastics: Stone Bridge Senior Wrobel Signs with NCAA Division I College of William and Mary

Ashburn (Dec. 9, 2010) - Carleigh Wrobel, a senior at Stone Bridge High School, recently signed a National Letter of Intent to compete in gymnastics next year for the College of William and Mary's NCAA Division I squad. in Williamsburg, VA. Wrobel has been doing gymnastics at Capital Gymnastics National Training Center in Burke since she was three years old. Her parents enrolled her in preschool

News: Loudoun County Partners with Girl Scouts in Project Elf

(Dec. 9, 2010) - This holiday season, the Loudoun County Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (MH/SAS) Prevention/ Intervention team is partnering once again with Leesburg Girl Scouts to provide gifts and other items to needy families in Loudoun. The program, “Project Elf” was an idea brought to life last year by Bethann Laign, Service Unit Manager of Girl Scouts Unit 70-9 in Leesburg.

Rendell's Bond Sale Cut By 35%

Pennsylvania Treasurer Rob McCord (photo) is reining in Governor Ed Rendell’s plan to borrow one billion dollars for construction projects.
McCord has approved a 650-million dollar bond sale.
Either the treasurer or auditor general needs to sign off on a bond sale. Usually, both officials okay the paperwork, but Auditor General Jack Wagner rejected Rendell’s proposal last week, saying Pennsylvania is “drowning in debt.”
After talking to Rendell staffers, as well as members of the incoming Corbett Administration, McCord says he’s approving 650 million dollars in borrowing for various construction projects across the state.

"We’ve been given firm assurances that this money is for already contracted, ongoing projects. And that this will fund their cash flow needs until June."

Rendell’s spokesman, Gary Tuma says the bonds were a “matter of the state paying its bills” on preexisting projects and predicts the funds will run dry in April....

"The next administration is going to have to borrow money and do its bond issues sooner than it otherwise would have, if we had borrowed the full billion. It’s important for everyone to understand that this is not a matter of approving new projects. This is simply a matter of the state of Pennsylvania paying its bills. "

Auditor General Wagner calls the bond sale a bad deal for Pennsylvania taxpayers.....
"With Pennsylvania facing a $4 billion to $5 billion budget deficit next year, now is not the time to increase the state’s debt. “Americans hold 8 million fewer credit cards than they did a year ago, because they understand that debt is a bad thing,” Wagner said. “It’s time that state government listened to the public.”

Bank Shares Lead the Way: BAC, WFC, JPM, C

Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) is leading the banking sector higher today on much higher than average volume. The stock is currently up more than 5%.

Citigroup (NYSE: C) is up just over 1% while JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM) and Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) are up 1.25% and 1.15% respectively.

These stocks have all faced high selling pressures as the year 2010 comes to an end. The spike in buying may set the tone for the new year.

The Politics of the Vikings

Voters in Minnesota would rather lose the Vikings to California than have a tax increase to help build the team a new stadium. They're perfectly fine though with helping to fund a new facility through expanded gaming operations in the state.

It's not new news that voters in Minnesota don't want to pay to build the team a new stadium. 61% of voters in the state are opposed to doing so with only 28% in favor and 11% unsure. Even if you raise the stakes and ask voters whether they'd be willing to lose the team to avoid paying to build a new stadium support for a publicly funded facility rises to only 35% with 49% saying they'd rather the team moved out west and 16% unsure.

Usually on issues related to taxation we see huge partisan divides but that is not the case when it comes to paying for a new stadium. 62% of Republicans, 61% of Democrats, and 59% of independents are opposed to a publicly funded stadium. This issue may come down more to how much people care about football than it does their usual political ideologies.

Although voters don't want to pay for a stadium themselves they are open to the idea of expanding gambling in the state and having that revenue help fund a new stadium. 62% of voters in the state support increased gaming operations to keep the Vikings in the state to only 25% who are opposed. This is another issue where the usual partisan lines are blurred. Generally Democrats are more sympathetic to gambling interests than Republicans but when it comes to using the money on the Vikings there is support from 63% of Republicans, 63% of independents, and 61% of Democrats.

As elected officials deal with the Vikings stadium issue the political realities are that a) voters want to keep the team, b) voters themselves don't want to pay to keep the team so c) the powers that be need to come up with revenue streams for a new stadium that have a minimal effect on the average voter.

Full results here

Wednesday Night Scoreboard

Wed. Dec. 8
Boys Basketball
George Mason 69, Freedom 58

Girls Basketball
Briar Woods 65, Kettle Run 33

Gymnastics
Meet at Broad Run
1, Broad Run 134.650
2, Freedom 128.500
3, Potomac Falls 123.200
4, Briar Woods 112.450
5, Woodgrove 109.850
6, Tuscarora 79.500

Wrestling
Dominion at Clarke County Tri-Meet
Loudoun County at Heritage