On Tuesday, December 18^th, The Toronto Maple Leafs hosted a Holiday Dinner on the floor of Air Canada Centre. Several Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment executives and employees, including Tom Anselmi, Brian

Burke, Dave Poulin, and Randy Carlyle, served a hot holiday meal to more than 900 guests from over 30 Toronto area shelters & agencies. With approximately 20 staff from the Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment culinary team people from the food and beverage staff spent the previous two days preparing the meal.

“We are all very fortunate to live in the great city of Toronto,” said Brian Burke. “It’s important, especially at this time of the year, to assist those that need it the most. We hope that, in this small way, we were able to offer a helping hand by opening the Air Canada Centre doors and providing a special Holiday Dinner. The Maple Leafs would like to extend a very heartfelt thank you to Second Harvest and the Salvation Army, as well as the long list of generous corporate donors that helped make this event possible.” Leftover food from Tuesday’s Holiday Dinner was collected by Second Harvest and donated to Good Shepherd Ministries

Living and breathing one of the MLSE visions and values, more than 150 MLSE employees donated their time generic cialis to contribute to this event. Thanks to all of our employees, suppliers, and partners.

See how Ted Warner, Account Manager and colleagues spent some time together recently…

“A group of 15 of us from the Corporate Partnerships and Media Sales departments recently visited Ronald McDonald House in Toronto to volunteer in the “Home for Dinner Program”. 

The Day Of: The day begins with my colleague Michael Miller and I making a trip to the local Costco to find all the ingredients we needed to make our dinner creations that evening. As a group we’ve decided that we wanted to have a Barbecue with salads and desserts.  On the menu included Hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken burgers, veggie burgers, veggie dogs, all the fixings, 4 different kinds of salads and for dessert we decided we’d cook up 4 different kinds of cookies all being complimented buy cialis online with a cup of a variety of blended juice mixes.

We meet at Ronald McDonald House at 3:45pm. The kitchen is brand new, state of the art, including 3 islands with 2 counter stove tops and 2 ovens per each island. This is only half the kitchen as the other half is open to families to cook their own meals if they would like to do so. For the next hour and a half we sliced,

diced, chopped, fried, baked, and had everything prepared for our guests by 5:45pm as dinner was to be served by 6pm. 

Through the generosity of our Consumer Products department and Real Sports, we were able to offer hats or t-shirts to kids and families after they ate their meals. Seeing everyone walking around with smiles on their faces with our teams logos plastered on their chests was pretty awesome.

Their Stories: As families started to arrive (some just parents, some with children, some pushing carts to put meals on to head back to their rooms where other members of their families have been quarantined), they smiled, were appreciative and looked like anyone one of us.  The reality hits home that IT COULD BE anyone of us. You never know when you’re going to need to help as these people do and after possibly a long day of going to and from RMHT and the hospital, looking after another or multiple children, they’re often tired and drained. A cooked meal for them means a lot.

A mother from Sudbury had 2 children with her, the older of which was approx 13 years old was showing us her amazing Bravery bracelet. It was no joke about 8 ft long and she had to fold it a few times before hanging it off her neck. She explained that each bead on the bracelet was for a successful surgery or operation she had gone through. “This one was for a treatment of chemo and this one for radiation”, she explained. No child should have to be exposed to this.  But her hair was growing back, her spirit was uplifting and her mother explained that they’re finishing their last few treatments and they should be able to return home shortly.  She said thank-you a few times for such a lovely meal.

After Dinner: The volunteer coordinator gave us a tour of the recently completed $32.5M facility. Not a year old, it houses up to 83 families and includes a full school (with Principal and teacher) for children to have classes during the day, a gym (for kids to blow off steam as some have been in a hospital room for the entire day), a media centre for weekend movie nights, library rooms for relaxation and reading and numerous programs offered within the House including a summer fun program, play program, arts program and child life program for children to understand, cope and learn about “their” health care experiences.

 It’s a great organization that’s unfortunately needed.”

Ted Warner, Account Manager of Media Sales, Direct Client

This week our guest blogger Kayla Foster (Donor Relations Coordinator, MLSE Team Up Foundation) will be doing a

two part story on an experience of a life time – the Toronto Triathlon!  In part 1, Kayla tells us about her experience leading up to the great event and the dedication it took from a whole team of people here at MLSE.

“On May 31^st, the last day for pre-registration for the inaugural Toronto Triathlon Festival, I received a text from Ivana (Coordinator, Email Marketing) that read “Hey Kayla! Did you want to join me and Alex (Coordinator, Fan Services) for the triathlon? We need a swimmer!” I answered with an immediate “Sign me up!” and team K.I.A. formed.  As rookies to triathlon, we opted for the Sprint Relay which included a 750m swim, a 20km bike and a 5km run.  Ivana, who recently completed the Ride to Conquer Cancer, signed up for the bike and Alex, who recently completed her second half marathon, chose the run.  Having been a swimmer my whole life, I was excited to land that portion of the relay.  We had 7 weeks to train for the big day – plenty of time, right? 

Leading up to race day.

While we had our own little relay team, we were part of a much larger team.  Under the guidance of Head Coach of the Toronto Marlies, Dallas Eakins, a group of motivated staff from across Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment joined together not only to train, but also to fund-raise for the MLSE Team Up Foundation.  Support was felt all around for MLSE Team TUF; whether it was through the email chain of training tips, the organization of open water swims or a post-work bike ride.  Words of encouragement were also passed around via twitter, which led to an interesting ‘deal’ between Coach Eakins and beloved Canadian Olympian, Simon Whitfield.  Coach Eakins agreed to raise $1 for every kilometer Simon trained during the last two weeks leading up to the race –

a total of $700!  With Coach Eakins goal to raise $700 and an overall team goal to raise $2,000, MLSE Team TUF’s 28 soon to be triathletes banded together in TRAINING and FUNDRAISING!

How did team K.I.A. fund-raise? 

(left to right) Kayla (swim), Ivana (bike) and Alex (run)

The three of us took to the kitchen and baked!  Ivana, master cupcake baker, taught Alex and I a few tricks of the trade and together we baked and iced over 7 dozen cupcakes.  Our mouthwatering selection included Red Velvet, Lemon Blueberry, Chocolate Raspberry and Peanut Butter Chocolate.  On July 18^th, we set up shop in our cafeteria and for a donation of $3, employees were invited to indulge while contributing to a great cause!  In just 45 minutes, we SOLD OUT, fundraising $400!  We were extremely happy with the success of our cupcake sale and also really excited to experience first-hand how supportive employees at MLSE are of each other and the MLSE Team Up Foundation.”

- Kayla Foster, Donor Relations Coordinator – MLSE Team Up Foundation

Stay tuned for Part 2 of “Conquering the Toronto Triathlon Festival…MLSE Style!” later this week where Kayla walks us through the intense race day!

In her final blog, Kayla and the ladies show their stuff in the the Toronto Triathlon where they truly conquer it in MLSE fashion as a team.  Passion + Pride + Performance is their equation and the result was a terrific day with a ton of money being raise for the MLSE Team Up Foundation.

Team K.I.A. with Canadian

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Olympic Triathlete, Simon Whitfield; (left to right) Ivana, Simon, Alex and Kayla

“Race Day!

On Sunday morning, while setting up in the transition zone we were greeted by several other MLSE Team TUF members.  All decked out in our team gear of a full spandex suit, it was easy to spot our teammates.  Support was felt far and wide throughout the day as MLSE Team TUF members cheered each other on!  All 28 team members completed the triathlon and congratulations were passed all around.  Not only was the actual triathlon a huge success, but as a team we surpassed our fundraising goal with a

total of $4,460 all in support of the MLSE Team Up Foundation.

On a final note, Team K.I.A. was extremely lucky to meet Simon Whitfield prior to the race.  With less than a week to go until the Opening Ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympic Games, we wished Simon the best of luck and thanked him for representing us.  Simon reciprocated by wishing us luck in our race and it appears some of his speed rubbed off on us.  While some doubted Team K.I.A., joking that our name stood for Killed In Action, each of us beat our personal goals on race day and finished with a time of 1:30 (Swim 17:47; Bike 44:41; Run 25:40).

Post-race: MLSE Team TUF

Thanks to all of my teammates for the motivation and inspiration.  And thanks for everyone else who made the Toronto

Triathlon Festival possible.  It was truly a life changing experience.

- Kayla (Donor Relations Coordinator, MLSE Team Up Foundation)”

Follow team K.I.A. on twitter

Kayla Foster – @kayfos19

Ivana Simovic – @isimma

Alex Forani – @alexforani

Want more? Here’s a video recap of the entire event from the MLSE Team Up perspective.

A year ago, I was graduating from StFX University with an Undergrad in Business and no idea what the h-e-double hockey stick I was going to be doing in a month. All I knew is that I had signed a lease for a condo in Toronto, and that I was moving there in a matter of days.

I’m a born and raised East Coaster (Halifax to be exact), a basketball player recently turned coach, and love all things

business and/or sports related. I moved to Toronto because I wanted to pursue a career in the sports industry, and let’s be honest, Toronto is the Mecca for professional sports in Canada. In my 4^th and final year at University, I spent a large chunk of my time pounding the pavement, and establishing every possible connection to Toronto that I could.

When I finally made the big move, I had no job. I gave myself one month to network with the contacts I had made, in an attempt to find my “dream job.” After that, I would just find work to pay the rent, and continue the search. Risky? Absolutely. Crazy? Still up for debate. As the saying goes, High Risk High Reward!

The risk paid

off. Squeaking in just before that 1 month deadline, I got a job in the Business Partnerships Department here at Maple Leaf Sports + Entertainment. And now here I am, one year later, and I can truly say that every bit of that risk was more than worth it.

I do, however, still remember the short time ago when I was in a panic to find a job, and wanted so badly to be a part of the sports industry. Here are some of the things I learned that helped me through that frantic post-graduation job hunt:

1. Tell People About Your Plan: You never know whose brother’s girlfriend’s uncle works somewhere or knows someone that you can connect with.
2. Pound the Pavement: Set up meetings and calls with as many people as possible in your network. Pick their brain, ask them how they got started, and learn as much as you can about them, and their business. Your passion and enthusiasm will show through if you’re asking the right questions. One thing to keep in mind is that not everyone will be interested or have the time to speak with you. Learn to take the rejection gracefully and move on.
3. Take a Risk: If you want those big rewards, take the big risks. Whether it be moving to a different city, or scraping together enough money for a flight to see what a city is like, do it.
4. Don’t Be Money Hungry: Money comes and goes. If you are at the beginning of your career and don’t have anyone to support but yourself, focus on getting a job that gives you the best opportunity to grow, learn, and connect with people. No one ever died from living off KD for a few weeks.

And always remember to roll with the punches!

~Shelby
@shelbyweaver

Our Marketing Manager, Jeff Carter is this week’s guest blogger who shares a recent experience many of us here at MLSE were able to be apart of.

On Friday, April 20th, me and 230 of my colleagues set out to participate in the City of Toronto Corporate Clean Up. This

is the third year in a row that I’ve participated in this event and I’m amazed by how much waste we’re able to collect off the streets in just 20 minutes every year.

This year, we not only collected waste from around Air Canada Centre, BMO Field, The Ricoh Coliseum and our broadcast studio on Lakeshore Blvd, we also pitched in to help keep two of our former MLSE Team Up Foundation refurbishment sites clean; David Crombie Park and Ramsden Park.

When all was said and done, we collected more than 150 bags of waste! To put that into perspective, we process half that amount in

waste after an average Toronto Maple Leafs game at Air Canada Centre. An amazing effort from my co-workers; I’m very proud to say that I work for an organization that values giving back to the community like this.

Jeff Carter – Marketing Manager,

Check this fantastic video feature put together by our own Marketing team highlighting the event:

A couple months back Real Sports Executive Chef Tony Glitz got wind of a competition – Toronto’s first annual Wing Festival.  The event was organized to celebrate all of the delicious chicken wing options in the city of Toronto and crown one Chef the Wing King. Eagerly he signed up his brigade for the competition and quickly went to work preparing for the event.

With twelve different sauces on the menu it was a a challenge in its self to narrow it down to a short list of three for the competition.  After much debate (and several taste tests)

Chef decided to bring to the competition the Bacon Maple Mustard, RP Lime & Salt and his famous Thai Sweet Chili wings.  To prepare Chef Tony used MLSE Full Time employees as his guinea pigs one afternoon where a toonie for Team Up Foundation got us a sampling of each of the three competition flavors.

On Friday April 20th Chef and his brigade loaded up their gear and over 200lbs of chicken wings.  His opposition was steep competing against some of Toronto’s tastiest: Sneaky Dee’s, The Pour House and Hard Rock Cafe.  None of them could match the size, flavor and presentation of Chef Tony’s wings!  Working around the room sampling each of the competitors wings it was clear where my vote would go.  After all the votes were counted and the judges discussed, Real Sports and Chef Tony took two outof three awards on the night – People

Choice for Toronto’s Favorite Wing and Most Exotic Sauce (Bacon Maple Mustard).

One of our many talented Chefs at MLSE, Chef de cuisine at our restaurant e11even Graham Pelley, and I sat down today. I wanted to understand more about his passion and leadership he brings to our successful fine dining establishment’s kitchen. And more.

Graham participates in one of the Leadership Learning programs I facilitate at MLSE; I’ve been really impressed with the wisdom he shares with us in our discussions on Leadership.

I find out that Graham spent much of his youth on a family farm near Fergus, Ontario and through those years growing up on a fully working farm he came to appreciate the importance of the land, and sustainable food. In fact, he attributes these experiences to laying the foundation for who he is today both personally and professionally.

Graham got into music in high school, and pursued music endeavours both in school music programs and as a member of a punk-rock garage band. He was drummer. The band actually had an album released and toured in Ontario and Quebec. Graham later pursued a post-secondary education in Audio Engineering, continuing his passion.

In terms of bringing up his team at e11even, a group of talented and aspiring Chefs, Graham encourages them to be confident and push themselves to get to the next step like he learned and his mentor encouraged him to continue to do. He believes in humility though, and maintains that there is a fine line between the two.

Oh, and not unlike most of

our employees, Graham gives back to our Community. His next community endeavour will be as a guest Chef at a charitable culinary event Festival of Chefs in May.

Thanks Graham, for the leadership and passion you and your team bring to the sumptious cuisine you create at e11even, your patrons, our community, and our Company.

~Debra

When you PVR a game on Leafs TV do you fast forward the intro and get right into the action? Not me. I think the intro is the best part. The distinctive voice of Paul Hendrick outlines the stories that are about to unfold and the flashy graphics and images get the viewers excited for the fast paced action they are about to watch. Well those flashy, graphics and electrifying images that ‘excite every fan’ are all designed by Yopie Hage and his team of talented designers/animators.

From an early age, Yopie has been focused on design and animation, originally dreaming of being a comic book artist. He’s taken his passion for art, added some formal

training (Graphic Design program at Sheridan College) and years of hard work (8 at MLSE) to become the leader he is today (Senior Broadcast Designer). Yopie has tons of energy, he’s positive, he’s fun and when he speaks, he uses hand motions and even sound effects to describe his animations. After meeting with him and his team, I left with some extra pep in my step, so I can imagine how his team would be motivated after a project briefing or meeting with him.

Yopie Hage, Senior Broadcast Designer

Remember the first time the game score and time clock were super-imposed on the screen during the game? Yopie’s team designs those too.

It’s not just broadcast elements they design, but also all the images and animations presented on the various digital signage displays throughout our venues. Think about the many shapes and sizes: scoreboards, 360 ribbon boards, field boards, octo boards, ACC Gate 1 random shape board (not the technical term) and so on. The aspect ratios are all over the place. This variation in screen specifications presents a huge challenge to Yopie’s team as they work to display a message across such a wide variety of mediums.

His team needs to be proactive and think ahead when they begin building an animation “How will this animation transfer onto the 360 should the client request it?” The client; there’s another challenge for Yopie’s team as there are commonly several clients on a single project (ex: Marketing, Partnerships and of course the

partner organization) all with their own ideas/vision.

Yopie has faced these challenges by emulating the work of one of his inspirations, Steve Jobs, whose success can arguably be attributed to his ability to design products whose greatest appeal was their sleek, elegant, streamlined, clean and functional interface design. Yopie has found a way to take any complex design/animation project and develop a sleek, elegant, streamlined, clean and easy to understand message that fits seamlessly across multiple mediums, while adhering to the instructions/guidance of several different clients. Impressive work.

Yopie is certainly dedicated to his team; instead of simply having his animators focus on projects aligned with their strengths; he allows them to work on different projects allowing them to grow/develop into well rounded designers. He channels his enthusiasm in order to motivate his team to push the boundaries and develop innovative ideas/techniques that are so commonly expected from MLSE.

Chyrons? Octos? Squeeze backs?

Clearly Yopie and his team speak a different language, but besides not understanding half of what he says, it was great getting to know Yopie, great to learn what makes him tick, what challenges his team and ultimately see what makes him a great leader at MLSE.

~Matt O’Brien, Manager Fan Loyalty

How many gallons of water would it take to fill Ricoh Coliseum? Well let’s see… if it takes 7, 851 fans to sell out the building, and Lake Ontario is just down the street, then… I don’t know what I’m taking about. But what I do know, is that Tanya Smither, Coordinator, Ricoh Coliseum/BMO Field Event Operations is the motor behind 3 grandfathered events: The Royal, The CNE and this week’s feature, The Toronto International Boat Show. A onetime part-time Event Supervisor with MLSE, Tanya has quickly matured into a fearless leader amongst her peers. Tanya was recently honoured as one of MLSE’s Stars of the Month (November 2011) for her relentless commitment and dedication to her craft.

Every event is different… make sure you’re proactive rather than reactive, and anticipate things before they happen. – Tanya Smither

Ricoh Coliseum is the world’s largest indoor lake! Coliseum… lake… not exactly synonymous with one another, but Tanya and her Operations team make the annual Boat Show a perennial success! Unlike the majority of events that pass through Ricoh Coliseum, The Boat Show runs for 10 days, not including the ever so important “load in” and “load out”. The transformation of rink to lake, and conversely lake back to rink, takes

1 week each just to set up! Suffice it to say, the event is an undertaking of considerable complexity…

Here are some cold hard facts for those wet behind the ears:

Liner is 250 feet long by 119 feet wide ♦ 12 Hours to fill man-made lake, 10 hours to drain it ♦ +65 Workers required to help convert rink into lake ♦ Water is 2ºC to 5ºC on average ♦ +500 Exhibitors at cheap viagra The Boat Show

Curious how they get the caramel inside the Caramilk bar (water into the Coliseum)? Watch Tanya’s explanation and takeaways below!

- Duke

Two of the most anticipated People Recognition events for our 2500+ Part-Time Operations & Event People at MLSE are the “Taste viagra order of the ACC” and “Part Time Skate.” This season we combined these events to one awesome evening of fun, food and recognition.