Toronto, Canada — Mayor Rob Ford and City of Toronto staff congratulated 12 youth selected for the CIMA Mayor’s Cricket Team that will participate in the fifth annual Cricket Across the Pond program.”Congratulations to the members of the team selected to represent Toronto in England,” said Mayor Rob Ford. “You have trained hard and are promoting good sportsmanship through the sport of cricket. I hope to someday see many of you playing in the Mayor’s Trophy tournament here in Toronto.”

Also in attendance at City Hall today were Gulzari Babber, President of Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA); Amal Ratnayake, Chair of CIMA Canada; Zanita DiSalle, Regional Vice President, RBC Royal Bank; Tom Mihalik, owner of Tom’s Place, and Jonathan Dart, United Kingdom Consul General. The City of Toronto is CIMA’s partner in promoting the Cricket Across the Pond (CAP) scholarship program. CAP uses cricket as a vehicle to reach out to youth from Toronto’s diverse neighbourhoods, by giving them a sense of hope, increased self esteem and opportunities to become positive role models in their communities.

“Now in its fifth year, Cricket Across the Pond scholarships have touched the lives of over 60 young Torontonians, leading them toward positive pursuits in life” said Ratnayake of CIMA Canada. “We are truly appreciative of the support from our partners RBC Royal Bank, Tom’s Place and the City of Toronto in this unique Toronto youth initiative.” Working in partnership with the British Consulate General in Toronto and the Borough of Kingston upon Thames in the United Kingdom, CAP provides young Toronto cricketers with the opportunity to travel to the UK, represent Toronto and learn leadership skills as ambassadors. The aim of the annual UK tour of the CIMA Mayor’s Team is to help these young Toronto ambassadors develop into positive role models in their communities.

“We’re proud to be part of helping send these young cricketers to the birthplace of the sport,” said RBC’s DiSalle. “It’s part of our commitment to build healthy and vibrant communities, where we can pass along cherished traditions to our children.”

The 2012 tour itinerary includes the inaugural Toronto Mayor’s Team versus London Mayor’s Team cricket match, scheduled to take place in London on July 17. The Royal Bank of Canada leads a group of corporate and media partners brought together by CIMA in this unique public-private community initiative. CIMA has been successful in arranging a partnership between the City of Toronto and the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, UK, in supporting the scholarship program.

The lead organizer, CIMA, offers an internationally recognized professional qualification in management accountancy with over 183,000 students and members in 168 countries. CIMA members and students the world over are involved in community activities. A significant majority of CIMA members in Toronto have roots in cricket playing nations around the world.

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