Nissan Kickoff Project to Support Students Across Canada for Fourth Consecutive Year

Mississauga, Ont. (November 3, 2017) – Starting with six schools across three provinces, the Nissan Kickoff Project, in partnership with the Canadian Football League (CFL), has returned for its fourth consecutive year to surprise Canadian high schools with the specific support they need to play football. The Nissan Kickoff Project provides struggling high school football programs across Canada with financial funding, equipment, uniforms and motivational events. This year, the program will help nearly 800 students from 16 schools nationally in 12 cities and six provinces coast-to-coast.

“The Nissan Kickoff Project is back for its fourth consecutive year, and we are excited to build on the work that has already been done to give Canada’s next generation the opportunity to learn and grow on a team,” said Steve Rhind, director of marketing, Nissan Canada Inc. “The Nissan Kickoff Project has made a significant difference in a number of Canadian communities, and we are proud to continue providing high school football teams with the much-needed support they require.”

The Nissan Kickoff Project assists high schools that have the passion for the game, but are in need of resources to participate in football. Schools are then chosen in areas where Nissan dealers and, where possible, the CFL and its teams are able to take part at the crucial local level. For the program’s fourth year, more than 23 Nissan dealerships and four CFL teams, including the B.C. Lions, Edmonton Eskimos, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger-Cats, are expected to participate on varying levels.

This year’s program began in October 2017 and has visited six high schools so far, including Harry Ainlay High School in Edmonton, AB on Friday, October 20. The Nissan Kickoff Project surprised the students at Harry Ainlay High School during their regular season game with an amplified game experience, including an appearance by the Edmonton Eskimos cheer team and mascots. In addition, the Nissan Kickoff Project donated $5,000 to each team to help grow the game of football in Canada. Looking ahead, 10 additional high schools will be surprised with a variety of support throughout October and November as the football season gets underway.

“The Nissan Kickoff Project will allow our program to replace old equipment with new, safer equipment for our players,” said Tyler Greenslade, coach of the Harry Ainlay Titans football team. “The entire experience with Nissan Canada was first class and our kids were lucky to be selected, as this is a memory that will last a lifetime.”

Nissan has been a proud sponsor of the CFL for 10 years, and will work with the CFL once again to help train and motivate the next generation of Canadian football players through the Nissan Kickoff Project. To date, the Nissan Kickoff Project has supported nearly 3,500 students from 72 schools nationally in 39 cities and nine provinces coast-to-coast. This year, the CFL will be providing a number of significant contributions including valuable insights, donations of training equipment and special player appearances. The Nissan Kickoff Project, in partnership with the CFL, is hopeful that this experience will encourage teamwork, cooperation, hard work and friendship, benefitting communities across Canada.

“I’m so proud of the success of the Nissan Kickoff Project,” said Randy Ambrosie, CFL Commissioner. “It’s been so wonderful to be part of this valuable program supporting the growth of our game that gives such great opportunities to Canadian communities. We’re excited to once again bring support, resources, and football to students in this fourth year.”

To follow this year’s journey on social media, please use #NissanKickoffProject.

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and INFINITI vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.INFINITIUSA.com, or visit the U.S. media sites NissanNews.com and INFINITINews.com.

About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2016, the company sold 5.63 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 11.72 trillion yen. Nissan engineers, manufactures and markets the world's best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in six regions: Asia & Oceania; Africa, Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America; and North America. Nissan has a global workforce of 247,500 and has been partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999. In 2016, Nissan acquired a 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors. Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi is today the world’s largest automotive partnership, with combined annual sales of almost 10 million units a year.

For more information about our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit
nissan-global.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.

About Nissan Canada Inc.
Nissan Canada Inc. (NCI) is the Canadian sales, marketing and distribution subsidiary of Nissan Motor Limited and Nissan North America, Inc. NCI directly employs 306 full-time staff across offices in Vancouver (BC), Mississauga (ON), and Kirkland (QC). There are 200 independent Nissan dealerships, including 45 that also act as Nissan Commercial Vehicles dealers, and 42 INFINITI retailers across Canada. A pioneer in zero emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades including the prestigious 2011 European Car of the Year and World Car of the Year awards.

More information about Nissan in Canada and the complete line of Nissan and INFINITI vehicles can be found online at www.nissan.ca and www.INFINITI.ca.