Support Canada's Paralympic Team on National Flip-Flop Day with Hudson's Bay Company's Para Flip-flops

TORONTO, June 13, 2016 /CNW/ - With the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games fast approaching and National Flip-Flop Day coming up this Friday, June 17, Chef de Mission Chantal Petitclerc is rallying as many Canadians as possible to slip on a pair of Team Canada's Para Flip-Flops to generate support and excitement for Canada's athletes heading to Rio.

"A new tradition is born," said Petitclerc. "I know Canadians will enjoy wearing these patriotic, sporty flip-flops and showing our pride in our athletes and our country. Let's see how many Team Canada fans nation-wide can unite together around #ParaFlipFlops and show their support on National Flip-Flop Day."

On May 19, Hudson's Bay Company launched its first-ever Paralympic Foundation of Canada fundraising item, the Para Flip-Flops, now available in Hudson's Bay stores across Canada and thebay.com. Selling at $15 a pair, 30 percent of each flip-flop purchase will go to support Paralympic athletes and programs for aspiring athletes.

"We are very proud to introduce the Para Flip-Flops in support of the Paralympic Foundation of Canada," says Liz Rodbell, President, Hudson's Bay. "The sales of these flip flops will support our Canadian Paralympic athletes as they head into the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, and beyond. Ultimately, it is our goal that the Para Flip-Flops will do for the Paralympic movement what the Red Mittens fundraiser has done for the Olympic team."

Inspired by our Canadian summers, and with the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games top of mind, these unisex flip-flops will help Canadians celebrate summer in style. The all-over print showcases a stylized, athletic Canada, with a key focus on our glorious maple leaf. Polar bears wearing toques and sweatbands are united with images of Inukshuks, campfires, tents and tall pines and a patriotic rally foam finger to boot, along with HBC and Canadian Paralympic Committee logos.

"The Canadian Paralympic Committee is appreciative of our longstanding partnership with Hudson's Bay Company, since 2006, and we are pleased to work together on growing the Paralympic brand," said Gaétan Tardif, President of the Canadian Paralympic Committee. "The Para Flip-Flops are a brilliant new fundraiser and we encourage all Canadians to pick up a pair, especially for National Flip-Flop day. It seems everyone wears flip flops in Brazil and I know our team will be thrilled to wear these and promote them with huge national pride."

"On behalf of the Canadian Paralympic athlete community, I'm honored to be part of the flip-flop campaign," said Alexandre Dupont, a Paralympic wheelchair racer from Clarenceville, Que. "I know that athletes, our friends and families, and all Canadians will love these flip-flops both for the cool, distinctive style and also knowing that they are supporting Canadian athletes in pursuing their dreams of Paralympic excellence. We all appreciate HBC's vision in pioneering this very exciting project."

In addition to the Para Flip-Flops, the Official Canadian Paralympic Team Collection includes a graphic t-shirt for men and women, a beach towel, a unisex ball cap and a tote bag. All five Paralympic items are designed with the stylized, repeat graphic shown on the Para Flip-Flops. The full collection is priced from $15 to $40 and is available at Hudson's Bay stores across Canada and thebay.com. The Paralympic collection is available online at http://tinyurl.com/jm85f8g.

ABOUT HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY

Hudson's Bay Company is one of the fastest-growing department store retailers in the world, based on its successful formula of driving the performance of high quality stores and their all-channel offerings, unlocking the value of real estate holdings and growing through acquisitions. Founded in 1670, HBC is the oldest company in North America. HBC's portfolio today includes ten banners, in formats ranging from luxury to better department stores to off price fashion shopping destinations, with more than 460 stores and 66,000 employees around the world.

In North America, HBC's leading banners include Hudson's Bay, Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, Gilt, and Saks OFF 5TH, along with Find @ Lord & Taylor and Home Outfitters. In Europe, its banners include GALERIA Kaufhof, the largest department store group in Germany, Belgium's only department store group Galeria INNO, as well as Sportarena.

HBC has significant investments in real estate joint ventures. It has partnered with Simon Property Group Inc. in the HBS Global Properties Joint Venture, which owns properties in the United States and Germany.  In Canada, it has partnered with RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust in the RioCan-HBC Joint Venture.

ABOUT THE CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE

The Canadian Paralympic Committee is a non-profit, private organization with 27 member sports organizations dedicated to strengthening the Paralympic Movement. The Canadian Paralympic Committee's vision is to be the world's leading Paralympic nation. Its mission is to lead the development of a sustainable Paralympic sport system in Canada to enable athletes to reach the podium at the Paralympic Games. By supporting Canadian high performance athletes with a disability and promoting their success, the Canadian Paralympic Committee inspires all Canadians with a disability to get involved in sport through programs delivered by its member organizations. For more information, visit www.paralympic.ca

ABOUT THE PARALYMPIC FOUNDATION OF CANADA

As the newly-established philanthropic arm of the Canadian Paralympic Committee, the Paralympic Foundation of Canada's goal is to ensure that the programs, equipment and people are in place to propel more Canadians with a disability all the way from the playground to the Paralympic podium. For more information please visit: paralympic.ca/foundation.

SOURCE Hudson's Bay

Image with caption: "Hudson’s Bay Company’s Para flip-flops in support of the Paralympic Foundation of Canada (CNW Group/Hudson's Bay)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160613_C5224_PHOTO_EN_711515.jpg

HUDSON'S BAY CONTACT: Michelle Veilleux, Director, Public Relations, Tel : [phone], [email protected]; Katie Mills, Specialist, Public Relations, Tel :[phone], [email protected]; CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE MEDIA OFFICE: Alison Korn, Senior Manager, Media Relations & Communications, Tel : [phone] x243 / Cell : 613-298-4927, [email protected]; Martin Richard, Executive Director, Communications & Marketing, Tel: [phone] x224 / Cell: 613-725-4339, [email protected]