RIGHT TO PLAY, eBay auction alert!

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The bidding starts on June 25th at 7 p.m. EST and closes July 5 at 7
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Proceeds support RIGHT TO PLAY's efforts to create a healthier and safer world for children through the power of sport and play. This is an
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For more on RIGHT TO PLAY (click here)

JUST SPOTTED...

Mark Wahlberg recently met up with Lyn Frankel, Sponsorship and Sales Manager, Western Canada for Roots. They met at the top of Grouse Mountain near Vancouver, BC, where he is on location for “The Shooter”. Mark is pictured here with a Roots Male bag in Tribe leather.

For more information on "The Shooter" click here to visit IMDB.com

HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES

Ilich Mejia comes up big photographing the Great One and his family for Roots


This week, in large posters in the windows of Roots stores, in colour ads in newspapers across Canada – and, lest we forget, on the cover of The Source – Wayne Gretzky, his father and son, appear together in striking photographs wearing Roots apparel for Father’s Day.

The images are the result of an extraordinary photo session that took place recently at the Los Angeles home of the hockey legend. It was arranged by Roots Co-Founders Michael Budman and Don Green who have been good friends with Wayne since the 1980s. They traveled to LA from Toronto as did Senior Art Director (and photographer) Ilich Mejia who arrived a day earlier to scout locations for the shoot. The consensus was that shooting outside would be more in keeping with the Roots style and sensibility. Wayne’s father Walter, his wife Janet and their sons Tristan, Trevor and Ty were also present for the shoot that was styled by Don.

“There was such a relaxed feeling during the session,” says Ilich. “It obviously helped that it was at the Gretzky home but more importantly, it was their incredible sense of warmth and hospitality that made things so conducive. They really made us feel so comfortable.”

The atmosphere helped inspire Ilich to capture three generations of the Gretzky family in a memorable series of photos that in addition to the current Father’s Day campaign will also be used for the Roots Canada Day promotion.

“What was most memorable about the whole thing,” says Ilich, “was just seeing Wayne Gretzky around his family in everyday situations and seeing what a quality person he is also off the ice. It gives an insight into his stature and what he has accomplished. You walk away from this kind of experience so inspired.”

SENSATION OF STYLE

Roots showcases upcoming collections at Montreal fashion fest

For the second year in a row, Roots will be participating in the Sensation Mode fashion and design festival in Montreal next week. Launched in 2001, this outdoor event is held during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend. It highlights Quebec and other Canadian talent in fashion and design, strengthening Montréal’s reputation as an international fashion centre.

Styled by Nella Walker, Director of Design, Roots will showcase its upcoming fall collection, the Canada Day line and new fall leather bags and jackets at Sensation Mode. The Roots presence at the event was coordinated by Kim Court-Hampton, Executive Assistant to Michael Budman, and Anisha Pillay, Public Relations Coordinator.

For more on Sensation Mode Fashion and Design Festival: www.sensationmode.com

BRINGING GREAT MINDS TOGETHER

Idea City attracts the support of Roots

Next week, Roots will help kick off Idea City, an annual conference that brings together major achievers from the fields of business, the arts, science, medicine, technology, media and more. As one of the corporate partners for this event, Roots will be providing custom-made Idea City canvas and leather bags as gifts to the participants.

Designed by Karl Kowalewski, Director of Leather, the bags are made in natural coloured canvas combined with brown leather. They sport the red, black and yellow Idea City emblem along with the Roots logo.

The conference is organized by long-time friend of Roots Moses Znaimer, co-founder and former president of City-TV. More than 500 delegates and 50 speakers will attend this three-day forum taking place at the Isabel Bader Theatre in downtown Toronto.

For more on Idea City www.ideacityonline.com

XM DAY AT ROOTS

Special offers for Roots customers from satellite radio

XM Satellite Radio teams will promote their satellite service in select Roots stores as part of the company’s partnership with Roots on XM Day to be held next week on June 24. Special three-day free trials will also be offered to customers as part of this campaign.

XM Radio is the exclusive official radio broadcaster of the FIFA World Cup. In line with another promotion, the satellite radio is also sponsoring prizes for the ongoing Roots United soccer contest.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY

A guide to just-launched Roots products

FOR THE HIGH ALTITUDES
Ski collection set to hit stores

The Alpine Roots collection is soon set to hit stores targeting the summer season in the ski cities of Whistler, Sun Valley, Park City, Aspen, Mont Tremblant and Banff in North America. The line, which comes in two separate deliveries, is inspired from past Olympic ski uniforms and the Adidas ski collection from the Seventies. The first delivery with lighter fabrics will hit stores next week while the second delivery, consisting of new styles and heavier fabrics will come in fall.

Created by David Young, Senior Designer, Special Projects, with Associate Joanne (Jojo) Joseph, the Alpine Roots collection consists of double knit Pique track jackets, fleece hoodies, tanks, freestyle track pants and shorts. A special Coolmax Jersey with sweat reducing wicking properties is used for T-shirts. A custom-made hounds tooth jacquard fabric is also used for details in select pieces throughout the line designed for men, women, youth, kids and babies. Made in Canada, the first delivery is available in all the ski city stores; select top tier Roots stores in other cities of Canada and the store in Los Angeles.

The products feature screen-printed names of famous ski cities and also carry a Roots Alpine patch specially designed by David for the collection.

The ski program comes in an advanced colour scheme made up of purple, black and brown with accessories like baseball caps featuring city names with the Roots logo, in line with the rest of the collection. Sizes: XS-XL for women; XS-2XL for men. Retail price range: $40 for T-shirts to $150 for jackets

THE ROOTS OF CAMP TAMAKWA

Bringing style to a wilderness paradise

As a part of its long-standing relationship with Camp Tamakwa, Roots is carrying exclusive Tamakwa-related apparel at select stores. The garments are designed in the classic Roots style and fit and serve as souvenirs of this summer paradise located in Ontario’s fabled Algonquin Park.

Founded in 1936 by Lou Handler and Omer Stringer, Tamakwa is located on South Tea Lake and is one of the best-known camps in Canada. During their youth, Roots Co-Founders Michael Budman and Don Green spent many summers at Tamakwa, both as campers and later working on staff.

The collection consists of outdoor friendly, 100% cotton French Terry fabric hoodies, cotton T-shirts and polos, tanks, shorts and sweatpants. Details include Camp Tamakwa related flock prints. Made in Canada, the line is coordinated by Senior Product Coordinator Ed Cox with design input from Michael and Craig Perlmutter, Director and Co-Owner of Tamakwa.

The clothes, which are highly popular with current and former Tamakwans and assorted Algonquin Park aficionados, are available at The Roots Lodge and the Roots Bloor Street store in Toronto, the Birmingham, Michigan store and online for the many Tamakwa campers from the Detroit area. In addition, the line is also sold at Tamakwa during the summer, especially to relatives and friends on Visiting Day in late July.

Purchase Roots Tamakwa
Canada - click here
USA - click here

GUESS WHO JUST DROPPED IN…

Taking attendance of special guests at Roots stores

Celebrities have long made a point of shopping at Roots. Here are the latest sightings of prominent figures from the world of entertainment who visited Roots stores recently:

Toronto (100 Bloor St.) – Members of the Dave Matthews Band were at the flagship store just before their concert at the Air Canada Centre on Tuesday to gear up in Roots.

St. Catharines (Ontario) – Representatives from the props department at the Shaw Festival were in the store to purchase a Roots bag for one of their productions. The Bistro Bag will be featured this summer in Rosmersholm, a new adaptation of the Ibsen classic, at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. (A few years ago, the Shaw Festival featured the Roots leather Business Briefcase in its production of Lord of the Flies.)

FRESH INK

A selection of coverage of Roots in the media

Here are some recent sightings of Roots in the pages of newspapers and magazines:

Metro (Toronto), June 16:
Item in the Hot Ticket column about the recent launch evening for the 2006 Rethink Breast Cancer campaign featuring a photo of Roots Co-Founder Michael Budman with Rethink Executive Director MJ DeCoteau.

The Edmonton Journal, June 13, The Calgary Herald, June 13, The Prince George Citizen, June 10:
Article on the success of the recently launched Roots United soccer collection.
(read the article)

The National Post, June 10:
Spotlight on in camouflage-print duffle bag in the Father's Day gift section.

The Coast (Halifax, NS), May 25:
Mentions the recent Rethink Breast Cancer event at Roots and the collection being available at Roots stores and online.
(read the article)

Chatelaine magazine, July issue:
Mentions Roots cutlery available at Sears.

Green Living magazine, June issue:
Mentions Green Tips book being available at Roots stores.

Fashion magazine, July:
Great shot of the Hampton Bag in the style round up.

Toronto Life magazine, July:
Camel coloured Roots beach tote featured in the fashion “Lighten Up” feature.

Flare magazine, July:
Oversized linen and black leather tote figures prominently in its “Tote ‘em Poll” feature.

Fashion magazine, June issue:
Roots Athletics jacket featured in the “Summer Getaway Guide” section.

Canadian Interiors magazine, May/June issue:
Cover story showcasing the Roots head office in Toronto.

Marketnews, May:
Spotlight on new series of Roots cases for MP3 players.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

Our weekly spotlight on new positions at Roots

Here is a list of current job openings at Roots stores along with the appropriate contact person. For more information, please refer to the separate email notices sent out recently about each position:

Store Manager, Coquitlam Centre, BC
E-mail your resume to the attention of Ross Shafer at rshafer@roots.com
Deadline: Friday, June 16.

Store Manager, Park Royal, West Vancouver
E-mail your resume to the attention of Ross Shafer at rshafer@roots.com
Deadline: Friday, June 16.

Store Manager, Metrotown, Burnaby, BC
E-mail your resume to the attention of Ross Shafer at rshafer@roots.com
Deadline: Friday, June 16.

Store Manager, St. Vital, Winnipeg
E-mail your resume to the attention of Samara Snyder at ssnyder@roots.com
Deadline: Friday, June 16.

Apparel Technician, Head Office - 1400 Castlefield Ave., Toronto
Email your resume to hr@roots.com quoting File# IP93000501.
Deadline: Monday, June 19.

Store Manager, Assistant Manager, Keyholders and Sales Associates
New Roots location: 1071 Yonge Street, Toronto.
Email your resume to the attention of Heidi Botis at hbotis@roots.com
Deadline: Sunday June 18

THE SOURCE GOES HIGH TECH

Updating methods for delivering the goods to readers

On the technical front, The Source has joined the likes of the BBC, Reuters, CNN and other major news organizations by offering an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) reader feed. RSS is a family of web feed formats, specified in XML and used for web syndication. RSS is used by (among other things) news websites, weblogs and podcasting.

In the case of The Source, along with the text of each weekly issue, any mid-week updates will also be delivered immediately to your RSS reader if you have one. Web browsers like Firefox, Opera and the new Rogers/Yahoo webmail client (new in beta) all offer RSS readers. When you visit the Roots blog, just click on the orange RSS link (on the top right of each page) to subscribe.

LIGHTS OUT!

GREEN TIP # 9
The latest in our series of easy ways to help the environment

Turn things off when you’re not using them. That goes for lights, computers and televisions. Don’t waste it if you are not using it.

It is a myth that more energy is used when something is turned off and then turned on again. You always save energy if you turn things off…even if you’re only gone for five or 10 minutes. (Source: National Post)

GET FRESH AIR AND SUNSHINE EVERYDAY

Health Tip #6
The latest in our series of easy ways to stay healthy

These are the fifth and sixth food groups. It’s best to get sun exposure in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the risk of sunburn (which is unquestionably harmful). Getting out for a walk and fresh air in the evening after dinner is one of the most enjoyable and relaxing things you can do, especially at this time of year.

Provided by Jeff Hirst, a professional trainer, co-owner of Training Zone, and a former Olympic diver. Jeff is an acclaimed sports instructor (who was the captain of the University of Toronto swim team) and is highly knowledgeable about health and fitness.

SPECIAL DELIVERY

Recent letters from the world of Roots

TRUE TO ROOTS
After I received my tax refund this year, I went to Roots and bought the Tribe Bag I like so much. I’m very happy with it. But I've always been a fan of your products and company. The first gift I gave my husband when we were dating in the 1970s was a Roots sweatshirt. He still has it.

I’m about to purchase my second Roots tribe leather bag although it’s hard to choose which one to buy. My first tribe bag was the Village pack. I’m thinking of having a collection of tribe leather bags, one small and one large.

I like it because I can use it anywhere without worrying if it will get dirty. I even use it when I go to work. I just love it. And it still looks good with my Sunday dress when I go to church. Some women stare at it and ask me where it comes from. I answer, "It’s Roots Canada.”
Made in Canada, Roots bags are great, especially when you travel. Quality, design and name brand. With all the name-brand knockoffs I see women using, it makes me sick. They must lack self-confidence if they buy knockoffs. I’ve read that authorities in United States and Europe can question travelers about the authenticity of their bags, especially if they’re carrying bags with Louis Vuitton logos.

I don't have to worry about that because I am a Roots customer. Thanks for authentic, excellent products.

L. Serafico
Mississauga, Ontario

DOING OUR SHARE
In keeping with the Roots ethos, the staff at our outlet store do all we can to help the environment. As such, I recently made a phone call to the property manager of the plaza where our store is located to ask for recycling bins to be placed in our garbage room. They questioned why? I replied, “why not?” I explained to her that Roots is actively involved in supporting a cleaner and healthier environment.

The person said she would look into allowing recycling bins to be placed in our garbage room and someone would let me know. I will keep you posted on whether it is approved or not.
Sometimes businesses do not like to recycle because somebody has to take care of the bins but we can do our part and ensure they are properly sorted by all. We all have to do our share in saving our environment and put together a 100% team effort.

Lori Normore
‘Roots 73’ Outlet Manager Cambridge, Ontario

IN THE BAG
I am a part-time associate at Centreville in Montréal and I have been working at Roots for more than four years. I was delighted to see the recent introduction of the Roots eco-friendly, reusable canvas shopping bags. I had actually submitted such an idea to the head office a few months ago.

I’m happy to see that my suggestion for the bags was taken into consideration and that the bag is now so well received by customers. It’s a great step for Roots.
Michelle Duhaney
Roots Centreville, Montreal

The Source wants to hear from you. In addition to reporting on new developments at Roots, The Source also serves as a forum for ideas and commentary from readers. Please send your letters to Robert Sarner at rsarner@roots.com Letters may be edited for length and clarity.