More than 230,000 kids are having a ball this year in the Timbits Soccer Program

To celebrate the love of the game, Tim Hortons launches new TIMBITS® Talks YouTube series featuring Toronto FC player, Jonathan Osorio

OAKVILLE, ON, June 15, 2016 /CNW/ - Some are learning a new sport. Many are making new friends. Everyone is encouraged to have fun. More than 230,000 kids across Canada have put on their jerseys and are participating in Timbits Soccer, a community-oriented program that provides opportunities for kids aged four to nine to play house league soccer.

"Making a positive impact in the communities where Tim Hortons restaurants are located continues to be a top priority for us," says David Clanachan, President and COO, Tim Hortons Canada, and soccer enthusiast. "We launched the Timbits Minor Sports Program in 1982, and because of our dedicated Restaurant Owners, soccer club representatives, and parents and participants, this program continues to grow each and every year. The goal of all our minor sports programs is having fun, and encouraging activity for youth both mentally and physically. We want to wish every player a great season this year!"

To celebrate the season and welcome this year's Timbits Soccer players, Tim Hortons launched today a new YouTube video series called TIMBITS® Talks, featuring conversations between Timbits Minor Sports Program participants and professional athletes. The first video debuts today on Tim Hortons' YouTube Channel, YouTube.com/timhortons, and features Toronto-born, Toronto FC midfielder Jonathan Osorio with Timbits Soccer player Ben, sharing their passion for soccer.

"I started playing soccer when I was three years old in my home town of Toronto," says Jonathan Osorio, Midfielder, Toronto FC. "My favourite thing about playing minor soccer was having orange slices at halftime, and the most important lesson I learned on the field was to always have fun. There's no doubt that playing soccer at a young age helped fuel my passion and helped lead me to become a professional. My advice to kids who are playing today is to practice hard every day, and enjoy every minute of playing the game we love."

Tim Hortons is a proud supporter of youth soccer in Canada. Since 2007, more than 1.9 million children have participated in the Timbits Soccer program, and in 2016 alone, Timbits Soccer will provide more than 2.8 million hours of extracurricular activity. Programs like Timbits Soccer help to ensure soccer is alive and kicking in communities across the country, so that kids can continue to benefit from the physical skills the game develops and the positive social interactions it encourages.

"A few years ago our minor soccer league closed, leaving the kids in our community without a way to play organized soccer," says Judy Vanderveer, Community Recreation Coordinator, Town of Gravenhurst. "We reached out to Tim Hortons, and thanks to its generous support, we were able to bring our soccer program back. We're in our second year of the program and we have more than 150 kids registered. It's amazing to see the kids having fun and being active. We wouldn't have soccer in Gravenhurst without Tim Hortons."

Every Timbits Soccer player receives a jersey, socks, soccer ball and participant medal. For more information about the Timbits Minor Sports Programs, visit timhortons.com or contact your local Soccer Club.

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Timbits Minor Sports Program Overview
The Timbits Minor Sports Program began in 1982 and is a community-oriented sponsorship program that provides opportunities for kids aged four to nine to play house league sports. The philosophy of the program is based on learning a new sport, making new friends, and just being a kid, with the first goal of all Timbits Minor Sports Programs being to have fun. Over the last 10 years, Tim Hortons has invested more than $38 million in Timbits Minor Sports (including Hockey, Soccer, Baseball and more), which has provided sponsorship to more than three million children across Canada, and more than 50 million hours of extracurricular activity. In 2016 alone, Tim Hortons will invest $7 million in Timbits Minor Sports in Canada to sponsor 356,000 children.

About TIM HORTONS^®
TIM HORTONS^®, part of Restaurant Brands International, is one of North America's largest restaurant chains operating in the quick service segment. Founded as a single location in Canada in 1964, TIM HORTONS^® appeals to a broad range of consumer tastes, with a menu that includes premium coffee, hot and cold specialty drinks (including lattes, cappuccinos and espresso shots), specialty teas and fruit smoothies, fresh baked goods, grilled Panini and classic sandwiches, wraps, soups, prepared foods and other food products. As of March 31, 2016, TIM HORTONS^® had more than 4,400 system wide restaurants located in Canada, the United States and the Middle East. More information about the Company is available at www.timhortons.com.

About Restaurant Brands International
Restaurant Brands International Inc. is one of the world's largest quick service restaurant companies with approximately $23 billion in system sales and over 19,000 restaurants in approximately 100 countries and U.S. territories. Restaurant Brands International owns two of the world's most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands – TIM HORTONS® and BURGER KING®. These independently operated brands have been serving their respective guests, franchisees, and communities for over 50 years. To learn more about Restaurant Brands International, please visit the Company's website at www.rbi.com.

SOURCE Tim Hortons

Image with caption: "Toronto FC midfielder Jonathan Osorio and Timbits Soccer player Ben celebrate the Timbits Soccer season with Tim Hortons’ new YouTube Series, TIMBITS® Talks, which debuts today at www.youtube.com/timhortons. (CNW Group/Tim Hortons)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160615_C1369_PHOTO_EN_713224.jpg

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