55 Plus Games

1 2 MANITOBA 55+ GAMES presented by PLAYNOW | SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022 Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Focuses on Community Everyone enjoys the blend of competition and camaraderie that pickleball provides. (Courtesy of Active Aging in Manitoba) BY TRINA REHBERG-BOYKO L ooking at this year's signage for the Manitoba 55+ Games, you can't miss the PlayNow logo just beneath it. That's because PlayNow.com, Manitoba's only legal online gaming website, is owned and operated by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries—a longtime sponsor of the Manitoba 55+ Games. The corporation first sponsored the games in 2009, when it was known as the Manitoba Lotteries Corporation. It merged with the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission in 2013, becoming Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. That same year, Liquor & Lotteries launched PlayNow. com in the province, and a renewed partnership was born. "We support hundreds of charitable, non-profit and community groups annually," says Greg Paseshnik, director of Programming & Partnerships, Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. "But the Manitoba 55+ Games is a special one. It's an opportunity for seniors to be active and a great experience for participants and volunteers alike." PlayNow.com, through Liquor and Lotteries, provides the games with financial support, as well as some pretty cool swag. Paseshnik says there are PlayNow.com shirts for volunteers to wear, as well as bags branded with the PlayNow.com logo. These are nice perks to the partnership, no doubt, though it's about seeing Manitobans living their best lives at its core. "Our staff always enjoys sponsoring and supporting the event," he says. "We get feedback that participants and volunteers are engaged and enthusiastic, which makes it that much more fun to be a part of." Liquor & Lotteries' community support program oversees all its sponsorships and donations, aiming to contribute to a better quality of life for Manitobans and to help build strong and vibrant communities. On the sponsorship side, it does so by supporting events and festivals that promote arts, culture, community, health, social causes, sport, sustainability, diversity, and inclusion. On the donation side, the program provides donations to charitable and non-profit organizations in four specific areas: • Used assets, gifting gently used items; • Used playing cards, offering used casino cards to groups for recreational use; • Prizes, including promotional merchandise and gift cards; and • Coin boxes, which allow organizations to collect funds in Liquor Marts for one-month periods. It also encourages employee involvement. From 2020-21, employees spent 4,133 hours volunteering and donated $77,600 of their own earnings through payroll donations to local charities. "We want to leave a lasting value for Manitobans," Paseshnik says. That, the corporation has, particularly for the participants and volunteers of the Manitoba 55+ Games. Liquor & Lotteries continued its sponsorship through last year's virtual events, though there's a lot of excitement on the team for this year's in-person events. "It's been a long and challenging time for everyone, with this pandemic," says Paseshnik. "We're absolutely thrilled to be able to continue our support in person." For more on Liquor & Lotteries' community support program and how it's contributing to the Manitoba 55+ Games—and other worthwhile causes visit mbll.ca/ content/community-support. "We support hundreds of charitable, non-profit and community groups annually, but the Manitoba 55+ Games is a special one." - Greg Paseshnik, Director of Programming & Partnerships, Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries

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