Suncor increases funding for 2014 'Fuelling Athletes and Coaching Excellence' program

$500,000 program benefits 50 athlete and coach pairings

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Sep 9, 2014) - Petro-Canada, a Suncor Energy business, today announced the 2014 Fuelling Athletes and Coaching Excellence (FACE) recipients along with a major increase in funding for the program. The 2014 FACE recipients from across Canada represent both summer and winter sports, and athletes competing in individual or team events.

This year, Suncor, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), and the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) increased the funding amount for each athlete and coach pairing from $8,000 to $10,000. In total, this increases Suncor's annual financial commitment to the program from $400,000 to $500,000.

"The FACE program is the cornerstone of our Olympic and Paralympic legacy and we are excited to increase the funding for both coaches and athletes, fuelling their dreams to compete on the international stage," said Louis Côté, director, loyalty and strategic partnerships, Suncor. "The drive and discipline of the athletes and coaches chosen is astounding. Congratulations on becoming this year's FACE recipients."

The COC, CPC, and their National Sport partners work together each year to run the FACE program, which provides developing, pre-carded Canadian athlete and coach pairings with funding to help fuel their dreams. Coaches are selected along with the athletes they directly coach, which highlights Petro-Canada's long-term support and recognition of the value of coaches to the development and performance of athletes. These coaches incur their own costs on the road to developing the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic stars of tomorrow.

"It's wonderful to see renewed and strengthened support from Petro-Canada, who has supported Canadian athletes for more than 25 years," said Marcel Aubut, COC president. "We look forward to cheering on the athletes as they continue to gear up for success on the world stage."

"On behalf of our athletes and coaches, we would like to thank Petro-Canada for helping build a strong parasport system in Canada and investing in tomorrow's champions," added Gaétan Tardif, president, CPC. "These grants will provide vital funding for athletes looking to compete against world-class competition."

Beginning with the Petro-Canada Torch Scholarship Fund in 1988 and continuing through its re-launch as the FACE Program in 2007, the program has provided more than 2,600 Canadian athletes and coaches with almost $9 million in direct financial support. These resources help athletes achieve national carded status and coaches improve their skills.

This year's group of recipients includes five previous recipients (Donna Vakalis, Jazmyne Denhollander, Julia Ransom, Virginie Chénier, Zachary Burt), along with Dylan French, the Canadian flagbearer at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.

The 2014 FACE program recipients are:

For more information on the FACE program, visit facebook.com/dreambig.

Suncor Energy

Suncor Energy is Canada's leading integrated energy company. Suncor's operations include oil sands development and upgrading, conventional and offshore oil and gas production, petroleum refining, and product marketing under the Petro-Canada brand. A member of Dow Jones Sustainability indexes, FTSE4Good and CDP, Suncor is working to responsibly develop petroleum resources while also growing a renewable energy portfolio. Suncor is listed on the UN Global Compact 100 stock index and the Corporate Knights' Global 100. Suncor's common shares (symbol: SU) are listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges.

Petro-Canada, a Suncor Energy business, operates more than 1,450 retail stations and 250 Petro-Pass wholesale locations nationwide. Petro-Canada's retail loyalty program, Petro-Points™, provides Canadians with the opportunity to earn and redeem rewards. Petro-Canada is proud to be a National Partner of the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees, supporting Canadian athletes, coaches and their families for more than 25 years. For more information, visit Petro-Canada.ca/">Petro-Canada.ca.

Canadian Olympic Committee

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) leads the achievement of the Canadian Olympic Team's podium success and advances Olympic values in Canada. Independent and predominantly privately funded, the COC delivers resources that Canada's elite athletes need to perform at their best and give their everything every day. The backbone of Canada's Olympic movement, the COC works with National Sport Federations to prepare the Team for the Olympic, Youth Olympic and Pan American Games. By sharing our athletes' stories, we inspire all Canadians through the power of sport: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Canadian Paralympic Committee

The Canadian Paralympic Committee is a non-profit, private organization with 25 member sports organizations dedicated to strengthening the Paralympic Movement. The Canadian Paralympic Committee's vision is to be the world's leading Paralympic nation. Its mission is to lead the development of a sustainable Paralympic sport system in Canada to enable athletes to reach the podium at the Paralympic Games. By supporting Canadian high performance athletes with a disability and promoting their success, the Canadian Paralympic Committee inspires all Canadians with a disability to get involved in sport through programs delivered by its member organizations. For more information, visit paralympic.ca

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