Turn your unused gold into gold medals: Unique CAN Fund campaign asks Canadians to donate gold to support athletes

Charity campaign features video parody of gold buyer commercials, Gold4Gold.ca donation website and social media outreach led by top athletes

TORONTO, April 17, 2012 /CNW/ - You've seen the commercials, you've heard the pitch—turn your unwanted gold into cash. But with a little over 100 days until London, the Canadian Athletes Now Fund (CAN Fund) is adding a twist—why not donate unused jewelry to support the country's top athletes? Donors will receive a tax receipt for the fair market value of their contribution from CAN Fund, a not-for-profit organization devoted solely to raising funds and awareness of Canadian athletes.

"I think there are a lot of people out there who will check their hutches and jewelry boxes and see what they can send in to help our athletes succeed," says Jane Roos, Founder of CAN Fund. "It's a way for people to give items that have value but they no longer use and convert it into a charitable donation that directly impacts the ability of our athletes to compete at a world class level."

Cheryl Pounder, an Olympic Gold Medalist in hockey, appears in the online parody that asks Canadians to turn "spare watches, rings, brooches, earrings and coins" into gold medals for Canada. "I personally know the impact CAN Fund had on my career and how important the direct funding is for our athletes heading to London and beyond," she says.

Pounder, along with top athletes across Canada who have benefited from CAN Fund are amplifying the campaign using social media. A public service commercial, developed by BBDO Toronto, spoofs gold-buying commercials while raising awareness of underfunded athletes. The campaign website (www.gold4gold.ca) provides a simple 1-2-3 process for Canadians to send in donations.

For more than a decade CAN Fund has helped talented Canadian athletes become world class and has supported athletes competing on the world stage from Sydney to London. Roos, a former athlete herself, says CAN Fund was able to support 80% of the athletes who competed in Vancouver because of generous donations from Canadians.

To ensure donated items are secure, CAN Fund partnered with Sprott Asset Management LP, a significant supporter, which will receive and store donated items sent by a secure courier. A fully qualified appraiser will value the items on premise, and CAN Fund will issue a charity receipt for the fair market value of items. Certain items will be sent to Umicore for smelting, while higher value items will be auctioned at charity events.

"We are proud to continue our partnership with CAN Fund in support of Canadian athletes," says Peter Grosskopf, Chief Executive Officer of Sprott Inc. Sprott chose to partner with CAN Fund for its track record in leading direct funding for Canadian athletes, many of whom struggle to meet even basic training expenses, along with the travel costs to compete internationally.

About CAN Fund
CAN Fund helps great talent become world class. The Fund is a leading catalyst in giving Canadian athletes what they need to succeed on the world stage. The direct support CAN Fund gives our athletes allows them to eat properly, afford coaching, pay for equipment and travel costs. To date CAN Fund has raised close to $15 million.
For more info: www.myCANFund.ca

Media contacts:

Stephen Rouse
BBDO Proximity
[phone]
stephen.rous[email protected]

Conrad Leinemann
CAN Fund
[phone] or 1-866-937-2012
[e-mail]