In preparation for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, next month, each member of Canada’s national swim team will be leaving with a little luck on their side courtesy of the Chicken Farmers of Canada.
These competitive swimmers, along with their coaches and support staff, have each been given a special edition 2016 ‘lucky loonie,’ in recognition of farmers’ and athletes’ partnership for healthy living.
“We are proud to be the official protein of swimming in Canada and to support Canada’s athletes,” says Dave Janzen, chair of Chicken Farmers of Canada. “With the team equipped with these ‘lucky loonies,’ we’re cheering them on as they compete for Canada in Rio.”
Swimming Canada’s director of marketing, Chris Wilson, says its partnership with Chicken Farmers of Canada has grown every year, and continues to evolve.
“Our swimmers appreciate the support they get and understand the amount of work that Canada’s 2800 chicken farmers do to put a healthy product on Canadian tables,” he says. “This good luck gesture is a fun way for the farmers to remind the athletes of all the supporters rooting for them back home.”
Last year, the Chicken Farmers of Canada’s ongoing support for swimming in Canada was recognized with the 2015 Corporate Excellence Award from Aquatics Canada. The award specifically highlighted the farmers’ wide range of support, from high performance athletes to the grassroots levels.
The ‘lucky loonie,’ a specially-minted coin from the Royal Canadian Mint, has been issued for each Olympic and Paralympic Games since a loonie was buried beneath the hockey rink for the 2002 Winter Games when the men’s and women’s teams won gold.
