IPM 2108 official mascot Tobe Cobe Jr. joins local entertainer Ross Gladstone for a duet during an IPM information session at Chatham’s Sons of Kent Brewing Company, August 16, 2018. (Photo courtesy of the PM 2018 Media Committee)IPM 2108 official mascot Tobe Cobe Jr. joins local entertainer Ross Gladstone for a duet during an IPM information session at Chatham’s Sons of Kent Brewing Company, August 16, 2018. (Photo courtesy of the PM 2018 Media Committee)
Chatham

More Than $300K Flows In From Local Sponsors For IPM

Several Chatham-Kent businesses and organizations have been recognized for showing their local pride by supporting the 2018 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM).

Organizers and volunteers of the upcoming event gathered at Sons of Kent Brewing Company in Chatham on Thursday to honour the IPM's biggest local sponsors from within the community.  Supporters officially thanked the 16 major sponsors for donating cash, services or equipment with an approximate value of $320,000 for the plowing match.  Chatham’s TekSavvy Solutions Inc. topped the sponsors' list by donating $100,000 to the IPM.

"It's fabulous; the amount of support we're seeing in the community," says Darrin Canniff, a co-chair with the IPM, adding that the donations all came in within a short period of time. "This is over the last three weeks, we've had [over] $300,000 of sponsorships step up... here in Chatham-Kent we have an amazing group of businesses. We're very giving here."

Canniff says he wasn't surprised at all with all of the sponsor support within Chatham-Kent.

"I knew that this community would be stepping up. I was certainly very happy and surprised when TekSavy stepped up for $100,000 [but] we've got a number of others stepping up for $10,000, $15,000, $20,000, $25,000. It warms my heart living in this community with the givingness here."

He says that the sponsorships also don't stop with the larger donations from those recognized on Thursday. A number of small businesses and individuals have also become sponsors by making smaller donations.

"For the people who are giving $100 or $200, it's like they're giving $50,000, because [whether] it's individuals or small businesses, they're all stepping up," says Canniff.  "We love the support we're getting."

The 2018 IPM is expected to attract more than 80,000 visitors to the community of Pain Court from September 18 to 22.

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Below is the full list of the 16 local sponsors who were recognized on Thursday, along with each donation:

  • TekSavvy Solutions Inc. donated $100,000
  • Greenfield Global donated $25,000
  • NatureFresh Farms donated $25,000
  • Abstract Marketing donated $15,000
  • AGRIS Co-operative Ltd donated $15,000
  • Clarke Drainage Contractors Ltd donated $15,000
  • Delta Power Equipment donated $15,000
  • Kucera Group donated $15,000
  • Nature’s Finest Produce Ltd/ Kejay Farms Inc. donated $15,000
  • St. Clair College & Alumni donated $15,000
  • Truly Green Farms/Cedarline Greenhouses donated $15,000
  • BF Environmental Consultants Ltd donated $10,000
  • Collins Barrow Chatham donated $10,000.
  • BDO Chatham donated $10,000
  • Gillier Drainage donated $10,000
  • Impact Graphics and Signs donated $10,000

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