February 9, 2010. Source - www.lucorg.com

Toronto - Canada’s largest Ukrainian Credit Union, Buduchnist Credit Union, announced this week that BCU together with its member-supported charitable foundation, BCU Foundation, will be the primary sponsors of the Ukrainian National Paralympic Team during the Paralympic Games in Vancouver.

The Paralympic Games, modelled on the Olympic Games, is an international sport event for world-class athletes living with a disability. Having overcome great physical challenges, these young athletes from Ukraine will be competing in the Paralympic Winter Games, which include such sports as alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, ice sledge hockey, wheelchair curling.

Ukraine made a name for itself when it first took part in the VII Paralympic Games in Nagano, Japan in 1998, gaining international recognition having won 3 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze medals in the cross-country skiing and biathlon competitions.

In 2002, the Ukrainian Paralympic Team had another stellar performance in Salt Lake City, winning a total of 12 medals. At the IX Paralympic Games in Torino, Italy, while competing against 38 other countries, the Ukrainian Team made history when it became one of the top-ranked teams in the world in cross-country skiing and biathlon, having won 7 gold, 9 silver, and 9 bronze medals.

During the 2009 IPC World Cup held in Sjusjoen, Norway, Ukraine’s team took first place in the biathlon, second in cross-country skiing, and was ranked second in the world over-all.

This year’s Paralympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony will take place at Vancouver’s BC Place on March 12th. The Closing Ceremony will be held on March 21, 2010 in Whistler at Whistler Medals Plaza.

In the words of Buduchnist CEO, Oksana Prociuk, “the Ukrainian-Canadian community, Buduchnist Credit Union and BCU Foundation are proud to be associated with this outstanding group of athletes.” We welcome these spirited competitors from Ukraine and wish them great success in their pursuit of gold. Together… we all win!

For more information, contact Lesia Shymko – BCU Financial Group Public Relations, 416-763-7029. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it