Molson in the Community

Last weekend the Molson Canadian Red Leaf Project was in Edmonton, AB at Kinnaird Ravine. Volunteers came out to help naturalize the ravine, planting approximately 800 native trees and shrubs including Trembling Aspen, Wolf Willow, and Saskatoon Berry.

The team did a great job and are now headed to Big Valley Jamboree this weekend!

Thanks to Global TV and City TV for joining us onsite too.

Up next…Red Leaf is coming back to Ontario with 2 events in Toronto. See you in August! Cheers.

Attention all Eskimos fans: get a free ride to and from every Eskimos home game this season!!

For the second year, Molson is Proud to Play our Part in supporting the Edmonton Eskimos Green and Go Program. The Green and Go Program is a unique partnership between Molson, the Eskimos and Edmonton Transit that gives fans holding a valid gameday ticket a free ride on transit, LRT or Park and Ride two hours before and after each Eskimos home game.

The Green and Go Program is a perfect fit for our Here’s to Responsible Choices campaign, which focuses on celebrating the responsible choices that our consumers make.

Below is a clip from Shaw TV’s Green and Gold Gridiron show where I talk about the program.

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Cheers!

@MolsonBryan

The fifth floor of the School of Business building on the beautiful University of Alberta campus played host to the first luncheon of the participants in this year’s initial National Mentoring Program in Western Canada. In partnership with the University of Alberta, two Molson Edmonton employees (myself and Brad Devarennes, Manager of Retail in Alberta) have been paired with two University of Alberta students (Jessica and Wan Ting) who were interested in learning more about real world Corporate Social Responsibility.  Together we are working with two fantastic local charitible organizations, Jessica and myself with HIV Edmonton and Wan Ting and Brad with Edmonton’s Food Bank, in finding solutions to meet their challenges. Molson is funding the summer postitions at the charities for Jessica and Wan Ting.

At the luncheon, we heard from Area Vice President for Western Canada Rick Tousaw who gave a great talk on Molson’s 223 year legacy of Corporate Social Responsibility and our support of the National Mentoring program.

Listen to Rick:

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L to R: Brad Devarennes, Manager Alberta Retail, Molson; Wan Ting, University of Alberta business student; Fay Lucy, Edmonton’s Food Bank; Misty Bjerky, HIV Edmonton; Jessica Peck, University of Alberta business student; Rick Tousaw, Area Vice President – Western Canada, Molson; Bryan Cox, Director Government and Public Affairs – Western Canada, Molson

Our thanks to Dale McNeely and Michelle Height from the University of Alberta, who are working with Molson on this important program and who facilitated a great luncheon!

Personally, I am very honoured to be a part of the National Mentoring Program, a program that is striving to make a real difference in our communities, with the assistance of our future leaders like Jessica and Wan Ting.

More to come on this.

Cheers!

What a fantastic night for the Edmonton arts community on Monday night at the Winspear Theatre for the 22nd annual Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts. Molson was proud to play our part again this year through our sponsorship of the Molson Award for Excellence in Artistic Direction. Congratulations to Shelley Switzer from the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival for her well deserved win. Hats off to Bob Baker of the Citadel Theatre and Greg Dowler-Coltman from the Victoria School of Performing Arts for their nominations and for the great contributions they make to the Edmonton arts community.

Watch Ferg Devins of Molson present the Molson Award for Excellence in Artistic Direction

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Nothing like a good conga line!!

The evening was a great showcase of local talent with performances by the Be Arthurs, Ann Vriend, The Raving Poets, Jeremy Spurgeon, John Cameron, Bamba!, KO Dance Project, and Chris Craddock and Nathan Cuckow.

I really enjoyed the diversity of each performance and the amazing talent exhibited by each performer. Edmonton is truly home to one of the deepest and most diverse arts communities in Canada, and it is well supported through the commitment to the arts of Mayor Stephen Mandel and council, and the great citizens and businesses in the city. It was an honour for Molson to be a part of this event.

I also had the opportunity to meet @mastermaq and @sharonyeo – we had a great conversation! Check out @mastermaq’s write-up of the evening:

Cheers!

L to R: Ron McClendon, Edmonton Eskimos; Bryan Cox, Molson; Chad, Edmonton’s Food Bank; Brad Devarennes, Molson; Tom Gilbert, Edmonton Oilers

Although the weather outside was frigid, it was nice and warm inside the downtown Edmonton Hudsons location yesterday for the “Great Canadian Food Drive.” Brad Devarennes, Retail Sales Manager for Alberta, spearheaded this event for the second straight year in partnership with the Bear Radio Station and Hudsons Canadian Taphouse. From 11am-7pm, both food and cash donations for Edmonton’s Food Bank were accepted. As an added bonus, Tom Gilbert from the Edmonton Oilers and Ron McClendon from the Edmonton Eskimos, signed autographs for patrons.

Including Molson’s donation of $5,000, almost $7,000 was raised during the day – and an amazing 3,560 pounds of food was donated by generous Edmontonians. Truly, this event made a real difference for those in need.

Congratulations to the Molson Team and our partners for Playing Their Part!!

left to right – Evelyn Ehrman, City of Edmonton; Bryan Cox, Molson; Rick LeLacheur, Edmonton Eskimos; ETS representative

Molson and its longtime partner the Edmonton Eskimos today announced the “Green and Go” program, a one year pilot program that will provide free service on Park n’ Ride, LRT and regular transit two hours before and after each home game to anyone holding an Eskimo ticket.

Molson is a longtime sponsor of Canadian sports from the grassroots level right up to the pros, and we are proud to play our part in helping to provide a safe and cost effective way for loyal Eskimo fans to get to and from the game this season.

The “mane” event at the legislature in Edmonton last week didn’t occur inside the legislative chamber; instead it was outside on the front grounds. As part of the 8th annual Government of Alberta employee’s “Take it all of for Cancer,” Alberta’s Deputy Premier, the Honourable Ron Stevens, bravely volunteered to shave off his thick and full head of hair to raise money for cancer research and programs. Molson was proud to play it’s part by donating $1000. Hats off (or perhaps on!) to Deputy Premier Stevens and all those who supported this worthy cause!