The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has confirmed a total of $91,132 was raised for the 2023 ‘Borough Ballers’ campaign in association with the Toronto Raptors.
The campaign saw the partners share the stories of six community basketball organizations who are ‘making a profound impact on their respective communities through basketball’.
Fans of the sport helped boost donations by playing the free Borough Ballers game via the Toronto Raptors App, from Mar. 23 to Apr. 6 Every time a fan played the game, OLG and the Raptors made a donation to the fan’s chosen organization.
Maxine Chapman, VP Brand and Marketing Officer at OLG, said: “At OLG, we are inspired by people who are changing lives through sport, and are proud to team up with the Toronto Raptors to showcase and support these six remarkable organizations.
“Thank you to everyone who played for their boroughs. You’ve shown that the love of basketball can have a positive impact beyond the court.”
Advertised on the OLG website, the six Borough Ballers featured were Pound The Rock Basketball League (Etobicoke), Grassroots Canada (North York), Onpara (East York), High5 Foundation (York), Rainbow Hoops (Old Toronto) and Hoop Queens (Scarborough).
On Apr. 9, a cheque of $91,132 was presented to these NPOs at the Toronto Raptors game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Jordan Vader, Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), added: “We are grateful to Raptors fans for participating in the Borough Ballers program and helping raise funds for diverse non-profit organizations across the six boroughs of Toronto through the unifying lens of basketball.
“Through our partnership with OLG, we were proud to support the efforts of these six organizations and honor these groups on the court at half time during a Toronto Raptors game.”
