Stronger communities start with investing in the places we play

Kraft Project Play encourages Canadians to nominate local recreation facility for quarter of a million dollar upgrade

TORONTO, May 4, 2015 /CNW/ - Vibrant and active communities start with better places to play. In fact, a study found that Canadians perceive that recreation services make a significant contribution to improved health (93%) and boost social cohesion (89%).¹ With this in mind, Kraft Project Play is encouraging Canadians coast to coast to help build a better future by building better places to play. Beginning today and through June 14, communities can nominate their local project at KraftProjectPlay.com for a chance to win a quarter of a million dollars towards upgrading a recreation facility – the largest single community investment Kraft Canada has made to date.

Kraft Project Play is a new partnership with Bell Media's TSN and RDS and marks an evolution of their award-winning Kraft Celebration Tour campaign. The program provides a platform for Canadians to showcase their community's unique contributions to sport. The submissions target three of the most popular recreational activities in Canada, basketball, soccer and tennis, and also include an area for other play initiatives that motivate Canadians to participate in active living.

In support of the launch of Kraft Project Play, beloved Toronto Raptor legend and TSN basketball analyst Morris "Mo Pete" Peterson is challenging Canadians to "come out and play" and celebrate their local facility by sharing a short video or picture of themselves in their favourite place to play using the hashtag #ComeOutAndPlay.

"The courts and schoolyards I grew up in and on meant so much to me. They're where I met some of my closest friends, fell in love with basketball, and started to develop my game. I owe so much to them," said Peterson.  "No matter what sport you're playing, it's clear that communities need these facilities, because stronger communities start with better places to play."

About Kraft Project Play

Once submissions close, four leading nominations will be selected by a panel of judges. Canadians can then vote to determine the community most deserving of the $250,000 grand prize. The three remaining finalists will each receive $25,000.

As proud program partners, TSN and RDS will build awareness of Kraft Project Play across their multiple platforms. The networks will also help to shine a spotlight on this year's grand prize winner.

Come out and play – encourage Canadians to nominate their community for Kraft Project Play at KraftProjectPlay.com, learn more at Facebook.com/KraftProjectPlay, and join the conversation with @ProjectPlay using #ComeOutAndPlay and #KraftProjectPlay. 

Kraft has a longstanding commitment to ensuring Canadians have better places to play. Over the last nine years, Kraft has spent more than $4 million across 138 communities to help refurbish recreation facilities across Canada.  The program commits to making tangible and measureable differences in communities from coast to coast.

ABOUT KRAFT FOODS GROUP
Kraft Foods Group, Inc. KRFT is one of North America's largest consumer packaged food and beverage companies, with annual revenues of more than $18 billion.  The company's iconic brands include Kraft, Capri Sun, JELL-O, Kool-Aid, Lunchables, Maxwell House, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Planters and Velveeta.  Kraft's 22,000 employees in the U.S. and Canada have a passion for making the foods and beverages people love.  Kraft is a member of the Standard & Poor's 500 and the NASDAQ-100 indices.  For more information about Kraft, visit www.kraftfoodsgroup.com and www.facebook.com/kraft.  For delicious recipes, tips and information on Kraft products, visit www.kraftcanada.com. 

ABOUT TSN
TSN is Canada's Sports Leader and #1 specialty network. With a broad portfolio of multimedia sports assets, TSN delivers world-class content across its industry-leading platforms including five national television feeds, TSN.ca, TSN GO, and TSN Radio stations across the country. With more championship events than any broadcaster in the country, TSN's roster of live sports programming includes the Grey Cup, IIHF World Junior Championship, FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015, CFL, NFL, NBA, MLS, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Winnipeg Jets, Season of Champions Curling, UEFA Euro 2016, MLB, Barclays Premier League, Golf's Majors, NASCAR, F1, Grand Slam Tennis, NCAA March Madness, and Skate Canada and Rugby Canada events. TSN is a division of Bell Media, which is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company.

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¹ Parks and Recreation Ontario. Public Opinion Survey, 2009 and Harper, J. Public Perceptions of and Attitudes towards Community Recreation and Parks Services in Canada, Recreation and Parks Matter. Prepared for the 2011 National Recreation Summit. lin.ca/sites/default/files/attachments/Harper_Jack%5B1%5D.pdf.

See also: National Recreation Framework Working Group, "Pathways to Wellbeing: A National Framework for Recreation in Canada", Ottawa: Canadian Parks and Recreation Association, April 2014. Page 8. http://www.cpra.ca/UserFiles/File/EN/sitePdfs/initiatives/National%20Framework/PathwaystoWellbeing%20d3%20web.pdf

SOURCE Kraft Foods Group