Vic Fremlin, known for his ability to market farm equipment and milk, and more recently for strategic repainting of bovine statuary, is planning a new philanthropic initiative involving collection of Lock City Dairy milk bags.
SooToday.com has received the following news release:
********************** Lock City Dairy Foundation announcement
The Lock City Dairy Foundation for the Enhancement of Youth Opportunities will be officially launched Wednesday November 12 and representatives of youth associations are invited to attend.
Establishment of the Foundation was based on results of a Buy Local project of Algoma University marketing students earlier this year that examined several aspects of the Sault Ste. Marie retail sector.
The Foundation will provide financial assistance to youth organizations participating in a milk bag collection program.
This initiative is based on a recommendation in the marketing study that meaningful and lasting relationships be built with consumers.
Vic Fremlin of Lock City Dairy will outline the details of the new Foundation at an event Wednesday November 12 at John Rhodes Centre upstairs meeting room at 7 p.m.
An invitation is extended to youth organizations executive members, coaches and coordinators to attend, as well as youth representatives, who are encouraged to wear any uniform or other clothing representative of their team or organization.
Backgrounder
An Open Letter to All Organizations Providing Opportunities to the Youth of Sault Ste. Marie and the District of Algoma
During the Spring Semester of 2003, the Business Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Program, and taking the Marketing Management Courses at Algoma University College, undertook a study of products and services offered by locally owned businesses.
One of the most significant observations noted was, in many cities, other than Sault Ste. Marie, locally owned businesses offered various incentives to local consumers in order to reward them for their loyalty and support.
In this day and age, where these small locally owned businesses are forced to compete with large multinational corporations, who have access to what appears to be unlimited resources, the locally owned businesses must be innovative and create new community partnerships in order to survive and grow in this global market place.
The "Buy Local Study" as this study was named, examined several sectors of the retail market and subsequently asked several local business owners to participate in the project.
The local businesses that did participate included, Rico’s Foods, Northern Quality Meats, Superior Home Bakery and Lock City Dairies.
One of the main final recommendations contained in the report suggested that, in order to increase brand loyalty, locally owned businesses must develop lasting and meaningful relationships or partnerships with the local consumers.
Mr. Vic Fremlin of Lock City Dairies, after reading the report, decided to expand a program he has been offering to the local grade schools to raise money for field trips etc.
Mr. Fremlin started the wheels in motion to develop the Lock City Dairy Foundation, a philanthropic organization funded by himself and Lock City Dairies, to provide money to organizations supporting youth activities in the City of Sault Ste. Marie and the District of Algoma.
The purpose of the foundation is to provide financial rewards to organizations in return for the organizations showing support for his businesses.
Mr. Fremlin has generously made in excess of $50,000 available to support local youth initiatives.
The concept behind the funding and the ability of all organizations to participate and obtain their share of the funding is very simple.
For any organization to receive funding from the foundation, they must agree to collect the outer bags from the 4-litre milk packages produced and marketed by Lock City Dairy in the City of Sault Ste. Marie and surrounding area.
For every bag collected and turned in to the Dairy, the Lock City Dairy Foundation will pay the organization the sum of $.05 per bag.
While some may say that the sum is small, this sum will add up rather quickly over time.
An organization with just 50 members can generate some significant totals with minimal effort. If every member of the organization collected just 10 bags per week they would generate $1,300 per year.
If the number were 500, then they would generate $13,000 per year.
Every youth taking part in organized activities is encouraged to solicit Lock City Dairy milk bags from their friends, neighbours and relatives in order to support their respective organizations.
The more bags you collect the more money your organization can receive from the Foundation.
Unlike other funding sources, this money comes with no restrictions on how it may be spent.
It is up to the individual organizations as to how this will be done.
The money can be distributed by the governing body or may be collected and used at the team level.
The money could be used in a variety of ways such as: to lower registration fees; pay for field, ice or pool rentals; buy uniforms or equipment; provide opportunities for the less fortunate to participate; or to subsidize travel to events outside the City.
How the Lock City Dairy milk bags are collected is up to the individual organizations, secure boxes may be placed in the lobbies of your establishments and emptied weekly or they may be turned into a designated person.
Once collected, arrangements will be made to have a member of the Foundation meet with a representative to verify the count and complete a cheque requisition.
The milk bags will be taken by the Foundation representative for proper disposal at Lock City Dairy.
The creation of the Lock City Dairy Foundation is a generous move on the part of the owners of Lock City Dairy and is designed to help relieve the financial strains placed upon youth organizations as a result of various environmental issues, such as the closing of the Sault Youth Sports Association Bingo Hall, and the restrictive nature of the regulations on lotteries, put in place by the Ontario Lottery and Gamming Commission (OLGC) and enforced by the O.P.P.
By taking part in this program the community as a whole will benefit from the generosity of the owners of Lock City Dairy and L.C. Sue.
In closing the Lock City Dairy Foundation wishes to invite representatives from the local youth organizations to the launch of the Foundation at the John Rhodes Complex on Wednesday November 12, at 7 p.m. This meeting will be held upstairs in the large meeting room. All executive members, league coordinators and coaches are urged to attend.
In addition it would be appreciated if each sporting association bring at least two or three of their young participants dressed in their respective team uniform, as a photo history of this event is being planned and your association would benefit in the publicity that will be generated by this event.
David L. Lind, Organizer Lock City Dairy Foundation