The Whitehorse Star is the newest diamond sponsor for the 2007 Canada Winter Games, the Games Host Society announced today.

Northwestel Inc. and TransCanada Pipelines have already been announced as major sponsors of the event, and CKRW The Rush joined the fray as a diamond sponsor earlier this week, making a value-in-kind contribution of $100,000.

The Star will also make a value-in-kind contribution of $100,000.

That will include such services as display and classified advertising, printing the Games' monthly newsletter, producing a series of daily 'games specific' newspapers during the two weeks of the Games and providing a link to www.WhitehorseStar.com.

In return, the Star will receive such Games benefits as the right to use the diamond sponsor logo, recognition in Games publications, signage at all Games venues, a link from www.2007CanadaGames.ca and a variety of other benefits.

The rewards for the 105-year-old paper also include increased circulation and more hits on the web page during the Games, and, of course, its hope that will continue beyond 2007.

'We are a fairly sports-oriented paper, so we always support clubs and organizations. Being a daily newspaper, and having already done the Arctic Winter Games (in 2000), it's only natural to do it for the Canada Games,' Jackie Pierce, publisher of the Star, said in an interview this morning.

'We're experienced and we can do it. The Canada Games provides us with the opportunity to support the development of Yukon's up-and-coming athletes.'

Pierce said she has been interested in sponsoring the 2007 Games since she first heard about them in 2001 and made her bid for the Star's involvement last March.

'The contributions made by the Whitehorse Star will enable us to greatly increase our communications to the people of Whitehorse and the Yukon,' said Piers McDonald, president of the host society.

'As our focus changes from planning to implementation, our communications will be increasingly important. The Whitehorse Star will be an important partner in this effort.'

The Games' newsletter will actually begin circulating in just a few weeks. Eight editions are planned to lead up to the event, which will be held in Whitehorse from Feb. 24 to March 10, 2007. The Star will be delivering the newsletters to Yukon communities as well each month.

Games organizers are hoping many smaller, local companies will also get on board. The Friends of the Games campaign was created for companies which wish to sponsor under-$100,000.

'We're really sensitive to being as creative as we can by allowing local businesses the opportunity to participate,' said Patti Balsillie, the Games' assistant vice-president of sponsorship.

Things are also looking pretty good on the national sponsorship front, according to McDonald.

While he wouldn't spill any details, McDonald did say a major sponsorship announcement is planned for Toronto next month.

'We have one final contribution financially to confirm, and that's the federal contribution,' McDonald said in an earlier interview.

'We expect to have that on hand by late October. At that point, we'll know what the financial picture looks like and how we'll target the planning of the Games.'