Sponsor Spotlight: Cleve's Source for Sports
Originally printed in Sport Quarterly, December 2009
When it comes to supporting minor sport, Cleve’s Source for Sports has been there for Nova Scotians since 1947.
So it’s no surprise that the locally owned and operated sporting goods chain has been a sponsoring partner with Sport Nova Scotia virtually from the beginning.
“We’ve probably been involved with Sport Nova Scotia as long as it has existed,” says Cleve’s president Kevin Bezanson. “We’ve always had support for them, because that’s our mandate. We try to look after any sports association or sports team in need of any kind of sponsorship or support.”
Along with footwear company New Balance, Cleve’s Source for Sports serves as the Title Sponsor for Sport Nova Scotia’s Athlete of the Month program. Provincial Sport Organizations nominate candidates in the male and female individual and team athlete categories, along with a team of the month. Winners receive a $50 gift certificate to Cleve’s, along with a framed certificate.
“In a small way, I hope it helps support athletes with training and competition,” Bezanson says. “And New Balance is a great partner to have. Like us, they’re a well-established company that believes in doing a lot of grassroots promotions and sponsorships.”
Cleve’s is also a supporter of KidSport™, a Sport Nova Scotia program that helps children and youth in need participate in organized sport. Cleve’s stores supply Sport Nova Scotia with a rebate on equipment purchases and also help out with other Sport Nova Scotia fundraising programs like Sportscape and Sport Sunsweep.
Cleve’s is also a sponsor of Run Nova Scotia and donates prizes to virtually any sports team or association that asks for help with fundraising. Bezanson says it’s an easy decision for a local sporting goods company to be heavily involved in supporting local sport.
“It’s what we do. It’s a reinvestment into our customer base, basically,” he says. “All of our customers know we’re a local company that’s been around for a long time. I think anyone that’s been to a fundraiser knows that we exist because we’re involved with nearly every single one. Go to a minor ball auction and you’ll probably find a Cleve’s prize on the table.”
Cleve’s has 13 locations across Nova Scotia from Yarmouth to Sydney River, plus a team sales office located in the Burnside store. The company also runs a seasonal location at Martock and has three outlets in New Brunswick.
It’s rare for local chains to survive and thrive in the era of national retailers and big-box stores, but Bezanson says Cleve’s has established a loyal following.
“We’re really proud that we’re still going strong, especially with all the competition that we’ve had.”