It's official - Appia Developments has signed on as the title sponsor of Giro di Burnaby for the next three years.
Jim Bosa, president of Appia Developments, approached organizers of the annual cycling event several weeks back about signing on as the one and only title sponsor of the race.
"My family has always had a love of cycling and being part of the Giro gives me an opportunity to 'give back' to the city where I grew up and continue to do business," Bosa said in a media release. "As a North Burnaby based company, my team and I at Appia are proud and excited to be part of this amazing event."
Appia Developments is one of three developers under the Bosa Legacy umbrella, and the developer responsible for the SOLO District development at Lougheed Highway and Willingdon Avenue.
"They've done a lot for the community in the last little while so I'm so appreciative of their continued involvement," said Rainy Kent, organizer of the Giro. "I think that (it) just speaks volumes about Jim's commitment to the event and investment in the community."
The three-year deal means Appia Developments will be the sole title sponsor for the Giro di Burnaby, held every year in the Heights. Past sponsors have been Embassy Developments, Bosa's brother's company, and Palladio Jewellers.
"The Bosa family is extremely supportive of the Giro di Burnaby, and have been since day one," Kent said in the release. "We're thrilled to continue a partnership that started with Ryan, Jim, and Jason Bosa through Embassy Development, Appia Developments and Palladio Jewellers."
According to Kent, the sponsorship deal had been in the works for several weeks, but was kept secret until Brian Wiebe, media relations' officer of B.C. Superweek, could make the official announcement to the Parks, Recreation and Culture Commission of Burnaby.
"I had conversations with Jim (Bosa) in the last couple of weeks, but we wanted to make sure that (the announcement) coincided with the council meeting," she said.
The official sponsorship announcement will be made at tonight's Parks, Recreation and Culture Commission meeting at 7 p.m. at the Edmonds Community Centre at 7433 Edmonds St.
The Giro di Burnaby is part of B.C. Superweek, an annual nine-race cycling series spread over 10 days in July. This year's Burnaby event is on July 10 in the Heights. For more information, visit www.girodiburnaby.com or www.bcsuperweek.ca.
