Returning to Lakeview Golf Course August 18 to 24, the second annual Jane Rogers Championship of Mississauga lists an impressive 17 sponsors on its website. However, last November its organizers, the local Landmark Sport Group, made front-page news with a public call for increased corporate support.
George Sourlis, Landmark’s director of business development told The Mississauga News that this charity event would need increased sponsorship to build on the momentum gained in year one, stressing the opportunity to generate exposure for corporate Mississauga.
This year’s sponsors include the City of Mississauga, Lakeview Golf Course, CI Investments, Samsung, AMJ Campbell Van Lines, Chaps, Rogers Sportsnet, The Fan 590, Waste Management, Rogers, Novotel, Easton, Watermark Design, The Mississauga News, Sport Specialties, Aquafina, and Quizno’s.
But to this point, no company has stepped forward to put its name to the event.
“We’ve got support on a number of levels, but we haven’t got that elusive title sponsor,” says Landmark president Elliott Kerr. “We are still working diligently to [get that].”
“Let’s face it,” Sourlis adds. “Without sponsors, you couldn’t really try to put on this type of event. We have a long-term plan as an annual event. Our goal right now is to find a title sponsor.”
“I think it’s safe to say we’re trying to target every major player in Mississauga,” he continues. “We’ve sent letters, and e-mails. We also got into our data base -- we’ve got an extensive data base of Misisssauga companies -- trying to demonstrate the value in the event.”
He cites the “invaluable” help of sponsors. Aquafina supplies the bottled water for the tournament, Chaps the tee-shirts for the volunteers, Novotel the accommodation for the players, and Rogers the exposure on local cable TV.
While acknowledging that the search for a title sponsor will be telling,” he says they’re “pretty confident” the Jane Rogers Championship will be around for a long time.
“My feeling on this event is, the more years we get in, the better it’s going to be. Everything touches the other. If you get more of the younger pros, you get more corporate interest. I feel very good about the event growing in the community,” he continues. “Mississauga is the perfect place to do it. You’ve got a city, and a suburb right there. And with a golf course like Lakeview behind us, it will attract attention for years to come.”
