BMO NBA Courts Across Canada Program Honoured as a Canadian Sport Event of the Year

• Award recognizes the overall success of an outstanding single-sport, multi-sport or collegiate event held in Canada in 2017
• BMO and NBA first-time recipients of the award

HALIFAX, March 9, 2018 /CNW/ - Last night, the BMO NBA Courts Across Canada program was named the Sport Event of the Year at the 12^th annual Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance (CSTA) PRESTIGE (Program Recognizing Exceptional Sport Tourism Initiatives, Gams & Events) Awards in Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

The awards recognize outstanding contributions in the sport tourism industry from individuals, companies and organizations. The honour is a first for both BMO and the NBA.

Following the success of the 2016 BMO NBA All Star Kidsfest Tour, BMO and the NBA teamed up once again to give communities across Canada an opportunity to experience the positive impact of sport; in this case, basketball ? the fastest growing sport among Canadian youth.

"We are so proud to jointly receive this honour for the first time with the NBA, for a program that truly impacted communities across the country," said Justine Fedak, Head, Social and Sponsorship Marketing, BMO Bank of Montreal. "We are committed to continue to help enrich the lives of Canadian youth through sport, in ways that will be felt for years to come."

"We are honoured to be recognized for the BMO NBA Courts Across Canada Program," said Dan MacKenzie, Vice President & Managing Director, NBA Canada. "While our vision for the initiative was rooted in sport, our goal was to help transform communities through a new legacy program, aligning with BMO's national commitment to community."

Over the summer, BMO and the NBA visited seven cities across the country, refurbishing three community basketball courts and hosting clinics run by the NBA's top clinicians for players and coaches alike. The program also included special appearances by NBA legends, including former Toronto Raptor Jerome "Junk Yard Dog" Williams and current NBA players.

The program visited:

• Haida Gwaii First Nation ? Skidegate, BC
• Boys and Girls Club ? Dartmouth, NS
• Harrison Trimble High School ? Moncton, NB
• White Cap Dakota First Nation ? Saskatoon, SK
• Grand River Collegiate ? Kitchener/Waterloo, ON
• Brandon University Healthy Living Centre ? Brandon, MB
• Patro Laval Community Center ? Quebec City

For more information and to see photo and video footage, follow the hashtag #NBAxBMO on Twitter and Instagram.

About BMO Financial Group
Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a highly diversified financial services provider ? the 8^th largest bank, by assets, in North America. With total assets of $728 billion as of January 31, 2018, and a team of diverse and highly engaged employees, BMO provides a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, BMO Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.

SOURCE BMO Financial Group