The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation continues to demonstrate its social responsibility to the Province of Ontario with six new donations to charities. However, the Crown agency is not alone in its initiative as it has partnered with the Toronto Raptors to help out basketball organizations. Each of those groups tries to provide nurturing and inclusive space for locals.
The joint campaign is titled “Borough Ballers”, which was inspired by the Toronto Raptors City Edition jersey that celebrates the six boroughs of the city. It shares stories of these “Borough Ballers” to help further their objectives. Those heartfelt stories can be watched on the Crown organization’s official website at olg.ca/BOROUGHBALLERS.
Providing Much-Needed Support
OLG reported that from March 23 to April 6 basketball fans had the opportunity to help charities by playing the free Borough Ballers game on the Toronto Raptors App. Every time a user played the game, OLG and the team made a donation to the user’s choice of charity. Collecting a total of CA$91,132.00, which was awarded to community basketball organizations at the Toronto Raptors game on April 9.
Maxine Chapman, VP Brand & Marketing Officer at OLG, commented the Crown is inspired by people who are changing lives through the sport. He said the OLG is pleased to team up with the Raptors to showcase support for these six remarkable organizations. She thanked everyone who played for their boroughs and demonstrated the power of basketball outside of the court.
In the meantime, Jordan Vader, Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships at MLSE, expressed thanks to Raptors fans who participated in the Borough Ballers program and helped gather funds for diverse non-profit organizations across the six boroughs of Toronto. He added that the company is proud to support the efforts of the six organizations via its partnership with the Crown corporation.
The six organizations that received the financial aid are Pound the Rock in Etobicoke, Grassroots Canada in North York, ONPARA in East York, High5 Foundation in York, Rainbow Hoops in old Toronto, and last but not least Hop Queens based in Scarborough. It should be noted that as a state-run agency, the OLG reinvests 100% of its gambling profits into the Province of Ontario.
This is also not the first time the Crown and MLSE have partnered on a project. At the start of 2023, the two sides announced a multi-year contract extension, allowing OLG’s PROLINE+ brand to official sports betting partner of Real Sports. The partnership started with an exclusive fan experience at the venue, which boasts the largest screen and 100-foot bar, during the NFL Conference Championships.
Similar Campaign from 2021 and 2022
Since its establishment, the Crown agency has made numerous contributions to all kinds of charities across Ontario. One instance of its generosity dates to February 2022, when the OLG provided financial support to the United Way Halton & Hamilton. Through the campaign, each of the United Ways branches in the province got CA$1,000, but with players’ assistance, the amount grew to around CA$2,575.
Source: “OLG and the Toronto Raptors Showcase Six Remarkable Community Basketball Organizations” PR Newswire, April 11, 2023
