Loyalist College Business Sales And Marketing Students Help Raise $29,000 Towards New Holmium Laser For Belleville General Hospital
Sticks and Stones Fundraiser Hosted by Belleville Bulls and Loyalist College Provides New Equipment for Removing Kidney Stones
Belleville, Ontario, February 22, 2012 – Loyalist College is proud to announce that students in its Business Sales and Marketing program helped the Belleville Bulls raise $29,000 towards the purchase of a Holmium Laser for Belleville General Hospital. The new equipment will allow doctors to treat stones in the bladder, ureter and kidney, as well as tumors and strictures.
Sticks and Stones, the fundraising event, was held on Saturday, February 11th at the Yardmen Arena during and after the Belleville Bulls hockey game against Guelph Storm. Loyalist students were responsible for marketing and promoting the event, as well as securing sponsorship. They used the donations for raffle prizes, worth $2,800, and Chuck-a-Puck prizes, worth $1,000, awarded to ten fans who threw their purchased pucks closest to centre ice during intermission. In addition to retail sales of promotional pictures and pucks, the students led a pass-the-bucket event, which collected donations throughout the arena and rewarded every person in the most generous section with a package worth $35. They also assisted with the auction.
“For Loyalist students, this hands-on experience of developing and implementing sales and marketing strategies for a local leader in sports and entertainment is a highlight every year,” said Kim Grimes, Professor, Sales and Marketing, Loyalist College. “Their monetary success speaks volumes to potential employers who want evidence that they have what it takes to gain revenue for their organization.”
Starting in September 2012, Loyalist College is offering an intensive eight-month Ontario Post-Graduate Certificate in Sports and Entertainment Sales and Marketing. Given the increasing number of Loyalist graduates who are finding employment in this field, the College decided to combine knowledge of relationship building in sales with an understanding of sports and entertainment marketing. The new program will meet growing demands for professionals in the sports and entertainment industry, which represents over $450 billion in revenue in North America.
“Working in sports was a natural fit for me after graduating from the Business Sales and Marketing program at Loyalist,” said Andrea Maybee. “I have since been working on projects with professional sporting organizations including Tennis Canada, Hockey Canada, and the National Hockey League. I’ve implemented ticketing strategies, which set a world record in stadium sales, partnered with international corporations to create and execute interactive marketing concepts, and managed national events. The addition of the Post-Graduate Certificate will not only provide opportunities for students to build their résumés with projects similar to the Sticks and Stones event, but will also give them a competitive edge with quantitative results.”
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Kerry Lorimer, Media Relations Specialist, Loyalist College klorimer@loyalistc.on.ca, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2536