Labatt Cheers for Charity raises $30K for OSEG Foundation

Non-profit organization leverages the power of sport to improve lives of children and youth in Ottawa

Jon Clement, district manager for Eastern Ontario of Labatt Breweries of Canada, with OSEG Foundation executive director Janice Barresi at the Labatts Cheers for Charity event in support of OSEG Foundation, held at TD Place Stadium's Otto's Club. Photo by Caroline Phillips
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It’s hard to imagine watching the Ottawa Redblacks in action without cracking open a cold one, right?

So, it made sense that Labatt Breweries of Canada would return for its third year Thursday to host its big charity party for about 400 people in Otto’s Club at Lansdowne’s TD Place.

Labatt has maintained a corporate partnership with Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group for the past 10 years, ever since the Redblacks’ inaugural season in 2014. It’s proud to be one of the founding partners.

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Redblacks players Brandin Dandridge, left, and DeVonte Dedmon got a kick out of the spinning photo booth at the Labatt Cheers for Charity event in support of OSEG Foundation, held at Otto’s Club at TD Place on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Its Labatt Cheers for Charity event raised $30,000 for OSEG Foundation, which is the charitable arm of OSEG.  The non-profit provides opportunities for children and youth to play, learn and develop through sports. “We live in an amazing city, but the reality is far too many kids don’t have the financial ability to benefit from sport,” OSEG Foundation executive director Janice Barresi said during her brief remarks.

Last year, the Foundation helped more than 6,3oo kids from the community by collaborating with dozens of community partners. Its Redblacks Mentorship Program, for example, involving players from the football team, provides guidance to at-risk youth. Three years ago, it launched its activity-based, positive-youth development program Girls on the Run Ottawa. Six hundred girls have participated, along with 100-plus volunteer coaches.

OSEG Foundation also works with Blind Hockey Canada to give visually impaired youth the opportunity to try hockey. As well, it’s been using sport to help connect youth from military families, given the unique challenges they face due to frequent relocations and parental deployment. 

Jon Clement, district manager for Eastern Ontario of Labatt Breweries of Canada, and a member of the OSEG Foundation’s community cabinet, was there to welcome the crowd to the party.

Clement said their purpose for hosting Cheers for Charity was twofold. “One, it’s to raise money for a really great cause and, second, it’s to have a good time,” he told everyone while standing on the same stage where Kingston-based band Ambush would later rock out like crazy.

A bunch of Redblacks players turned out for the event. Their season doesn’t kick off for another month, with their first home game slated for Thursday, June 13.

Kingston-based band Ambush performed at the Labatt Cheers for Charity event in support of OSEG Foundation, held at Otto’s Club at TD Place on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Also there were OSEG CEO Mark Goudie and its vice president of corporate services and general counsel Stephanie Spruston. As well, attendees included Ali Shafaee, regional vice president of Live Nation Canada, Escape Manor co-owner Steve Wilson, Ideal Roofing co-owner and vice president Philippe Laplante, Thunderbolt Contracting’s Steve Lasenby and Tory McNeely, and local realtor Tammy Laverty. She’s founder of the Ed Laverty Legacy Sports Fund in honour of her late father, a Nepean Sports Hall of Fame inductee and co-founder of what is now Touch Football Ontario. Laverty has also been playing touch football since she was 13.

Labatt Cheers for Charity, held on Thursday, April 25, 2024, raised funds for the work done by OSEG (Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group) Foundation to help children and youth play, learn and develop through sports. Photo by Caroline Phillips

The $50-a-ticket event featured auction items, a 360-degree photo booth, food offerings from Levy, and a raffle. The grand prize was a VIP trip with the Redblacks to a game in Winnipeg this summer. Arief Raun from Otto’s was unable to attend but he did get a shout-out from Clement for the $5,000 gift from the local car dealership, which sells BMWs and Subarus.

The selection of drinks went beyond regular beer to include Labatt’s expanded portfolio of ciders, coolers, canned cocktail drinks, low-calorie and non-alcoholic offerings. Drinking habits are changing, said Clement.  The former varsity football player with Carleton University and St. FX University did a stint as corporate partners and ticket sales manager for the Ottawa Renegades, our city’s former CFL team, prior to joining the leading beverage company nearly 20 years ago.

“The beer industry has changed a lot; it’s way more dynamic,” Clement told OBJ.social of how the company sells almost as many ready-to-drink brands as it does beer. 

Premiumization, which involves a more discerning market segment, is continuing to trend, he added, explaining how consumers are looking to trade up to such Labatt brands as Corona, Stella Artois, Cutwater and Nütrl. “Coming out of COVID, people are going out less often but, when they do, they’re willing to indulge more, they’re willing to pay a premium.”

From left, Redblacks kicker Lewis Ward, defensive lineman Nigel Romick, alongside Madison Laplante and Philippe Laplante, co-owner and vice president at Ideal Roofing, and Redblacks defensive back Ty Cranston and defensive lineman Kene Onyeka at the Labatt Cheers for Charity event in support of OSEG Foundation, held at Otto’s Club at TD Place on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Steve Lasenby, vice president of operations for Thunderbolt Contracting, and its corporate communications manager, Tory McNeely, at the Labatt Cheers for Charity event held in support of OSEG Foundation at Otto’s Club at TD Place on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Tammy Laverty got into the spirit of the evening at the Labatt Cheers for Charity event held in support of OSEG Foundation at Otto’s Club at TD Place on Thursday, April 25, 2024. PHoto by Caroline Phillips
From left, Ali Shafaee, regional vice president of Live Nation Canada, and OSEG (Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group) CEO Mark Goudie at the Labatt Cheers for Charity event in support of OSEG Foundation, held at Otto’s Club at TD Place on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Labatt Breweries of Canada featured all its products at a charity event it hosted on Thursday, April 25, 2024, in support of OSEG Foundation and the work it does to provide opportunities for more children and youth to learn and develop through sports. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Stephanie Spruston, vice president of corporate services and general counsel for OSEG (Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group), with Lisa Lauter at the Labatt Cheers for Charity event in support of OSEG Foundation, held at Otto’s Club at TD Place on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Dave Nevins, chief operating officer at InterRent REIT, and Raquel Nevins, with Jeannette Alexander, corporate development coordinator at CHEO Foundation, and John Cosentino, regional property manager with InterRent REIT, at the Labatt Cheers for Charity event in support of OSEG Foundation, held at Otto’s Club at TD Place on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Kingston-based band Ambush performed at the Labatt Cheers for Charity event in support of OSEG Foundation, held at TD Place Stadium’s Otto’s Club on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Steve Wilson (centre), co-owner of Ottawa-based Escape Manor and its multi-experience Manor Lounge, seen with his marketing manager Nick Warnock, left, and Nick Orphanos of Escapade Music Festival at the Labatt Cheers for Charity event in support of OSEG Foundation, held at TD Place Stadium’s Otto’s Club on Thursday, April 25, 2024. PHoto by Caroline Phillips
Tyler Duncan, COO at Gunn Media and Anish Branding, and Molly Ellis at the Labatt Cheers for Charity event in support of OSEG Foundation, held at TD Place Stadium’s Otto’s Club on Thursday, April 25, 2024. PHoto by Caroline Phillips
Kingston-based band Ambush performed at the Labatt Cheers for Charity event in support of OSEG Foundation, held at TD Place Stadium’s Otto’s Club on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
The Labatt Cheers for Charity event for OSEG Foundation featured food, beverages, prizes, live music and, of course, dancing. Photo by Caroline Phillips

 

caroline@obj.ca

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