North America's largest Bavarian Festival gained significant support today with the announcement that Economical Insurance, one of the largest property and casualty insurance companies in the country, will be the official sponsor for the 2012 Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest RIDE program.
The "Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) is a provincial campaign that began in the late 1970s and focused on police checks that stopped drivers to test for impairment related to alcohol consumption. The Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest organizers continue to embrace safety in the community and work with local and provincial police authorities to enhance awareness and demonstrate alternative transportation opportunities to reduce drinking and driving.
"We want to help create a high level of driving safety awareness so that the hundreds of thousands of visitors and citizens who experience Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest drive safely," said Karen Gavan, Economical's president and chief executive officer. "We believe it's a natural fit for Economical Insurance to support the RIDE program and the success it has in enhancing public safety.
The Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest RIDE program will deliver 8,000 information booklets with valuable coupons for redemption during and after the festival to drivers who successfully pass through a RIDE checkpoint during the festival. The program is done annually in partnership with the Ontario Provincial Police and the Waterloo Regional Police.
"Our partnership with Economical has great synergy as the annual festival has always been about celebrating culture and family, while ensuring safety programs and awareness are top of mind for guests and our community," says Mark Kreller, Executive Director of Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest. "We are pleased to have such support and commitment from Economical Insurance, a business that has deep roots in this community and a long history of providing insurance products and peace of mind to Canadians."
About Economical Insurance
Founded in 1871, Economical Insurance is one of Canada’s largest property and casualty insurers, with $1.7 billion in premiums and $4.6 billion in assets. Based in Waterloo, this Canadian-owned and operated group services the insurance needs of more than one million customers through 12 branches and service offices across the country. In 2010, Economical announced its decision to become the first federally-regulated mutual property and casualty insurance company to demutualize. Economical is currently reviewing strategic options and will submit a comprehensive demutualization proposal for mutual policyholder approval after the federal government’s development of regulations and regulatory approval.
Economical Insurance member companies include: Economical Mutual Insurance Company® (including Western General® Farm Division), Economical Select®, Perth Insurance Company®, Federation Insurance Company of Canada, Family Insurance Solutions and The Mattei Companies.
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