The Vancouver Island-based law firm with deep roots in community sports sponsorship provides key support for semi-professional soccer in Nanaimo.
It’s hard to kick a soccer ball in Nanaimo without it landing on some part of the community affected by Ramsay Lampman Rhodes Lawyers’ (RLR) generosity. Since it opened its doors in 1977, the full-service law firm has been committed to making Nanaimo a better place in more ways than one.
“RLR has had a culture of supporting our communities with sponsorships and donations for decades,” says Stephen McPhee, partner at RLR. “Our logo can be seen on scoreboards and sports shirts and jackets throughout our community.”
Most recently, the firm signed an even deeper commitment to community by signing on as lead sponsor with Harbourside FC, Nanaimo’s soon-to-launch semi-professional soccer club.
“Most of our employees have been involved in youth soccer and a number of them play adult soccer,” says McPhee. “Our partner, Mike Wassermann, was part of the team that brought Harbourside FC to Nanaimo. It is a natural fit for us as a firm to support bringing this next level of soccer to our community.”
Harbourside FC, set to kick-off its season opener April 29 with men’s and women’s games at Q'unq'inuqwstuxw Field (pronounced Ki-KIN-ish-TOOK) in Nanaimo, is in its inaugural year and the latest of eight teams to join BC’s League 1.
“As a start-up club, budget is a key component, and RLR's sponsorship gives us the foundational funding needed to get a strong start,” says Jason Coates, Operations Manager for Harbourside FC. “It's also a real benefit to have established community supporters such as RLR Lawyers on board. They add a lot of strength to what we're doing.”
Over the years, RLR’s sponsorships have ranged from larger corporate sponsorships of baseball, hockey and soccer teams to smaller donations of waterproof jackets staff members’ children’s house teams.
“As a firm, we encourage healthy lifestyles in our employees and their families, and a number of our employees are involved in different sports that we sponsor,” says McPhee. “It is the personal connections in our firm that have largely driven the different sponsorships.”
RLR employees are an active bunch. The firm sponsored a co-ed 7-a-side soccer team, has a team in the Comox Valley Snow to Surf multisport race, and have employees who play tennis, golf, squash and a variety of other sports.
Sponsoring Nanaimo’s latest semi-professional sports endeavour was a natural next step. “We hope RLR’s Harbourside FC sponsorship contributes to the growth of soccer in the community and increases the community involvement and appreciation in the sport,” McPhee says.
Learn more about Ramsay Lampman Rhodes Lawyers at rlr-law.com
Harbourside FC is firmly anchored by Nanaimo United FC, Nanaimo’s youth soccer club. The full schedule and season tickets are available at harboursidefc.ca
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