Bank to honour athletes' outstanding performances at local Welcome Home events across Canada

TORONTO, Sept. 19, 2016 /CNW/ - CIBC (TSX: CM) (NYSE: CM), Premier Partner of the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), extends a heartfelt congratulations to the athletes who represented Canada on the world stage at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

To celebrate our Paralympians, CIBC and the CPC are pleased to invite Canadians to CIBC Welcome Home festivities in seven communities across Canada on September 22 and 23.

"To celebrate our Paralympians' momentous achievements in Rio, we are giving them a well-deserved hero's welcome in our banking centres across the country," says Laura Dottori-Attanasio, Chief Risk Officer and Diversity & Inclusion Champion, CIBC. "We are proud of our athletes' ability to leverage their talent to unite people in a shared passion for sport, promoting inclusiveness while helping to inspire a new generation of athletes."

CIBC's partnership with the Canadian Paralympic Team began with the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Winter Games when the bank hosted similar events for athletes returning home.

Now, the bank is pleased to continue the "Welcome Home" events tradition for the Rio 2016 Canadian Paralympic Team.

"Rio was a phenomenal experience and I am so grateful for all the support that helped make it possible," said swimmer Benoit Huot, who won his 20^th Paralympic medal in Rio. "It's going to be incredibly special to celebrate our team's success back home with our local community, friends and family. Thank you to CIBC for hosting us."

"Sport is a powerful vehicle to shift society's attitudes and perceptions about disability," added Dottori-Attanasio. "Team Canada's world-class performances in Rio have thrilled all of us at CIBC and, I know, many of Canadians as well. We're looking forward to celebrating their successes in the coming days at our branches across the country.

A special congratulations goes out to 10 CIBC Team Next athletes who competed at these Games, including CIBC Team Next mentor Benoit Huot. CIBC is proud to have supported these athletes over the past three years. 

About CIBC
CIBC is a leading Canadian-based global financial institution with 11 million personal banking and business clients. Through our three major business units - Retail and Business Banking, Wealth Management and Capital Markets - CIBC offers a full range of products and services through its comprehensive electronic banking network, branches and offices across Canada with offices in the United States and around the world. Ongoing news releases and more information about CIBC can be found at www.cibc.com/ca/media-centre/ or by following on Twitter @CIBC, Facebook (www.facebook.com/CIBC) and Instagram @CIBCNow.

SOURCE CIBC