Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games Introduces Gold Sponsor Hydro-Québec as Official Partner of 'Save Winter'

Hydro-Qu\u00e9bec COO Serge Abergel with Adirondack Mac & ADKSC\/Lake Placid 2023 Exec. Dir. Ashley Walden
Courtesy: ADKSC. Serge Abergel (left), COO Hydro-Qu\u00e9bec Energy Services (U.S.) Inc; Adirondack Mac, official Mascot of Lake Placid 2023; Ashley Walden, executive director of ADKSC, Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games' Organizing Committee

Today, Hydro-Québec (U.S.) is announced as a gold sponsor of the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games, January 12-22. They also are a designated official partner of Save Winter, a comprehensive sustainability initiative that intersects climate awareness and winter sport. 

"The sustainability theme of the Winter Games is Save Winter. As a long-time skier, I have seen first-hand the impacts of climate change on our favorite season. To ensure we can all enjoy Winter Games for generations to come, we need to work together to find the best and least costly clean energy solutions to transition away from fossil fuels," said Serge Abergel, chief operating officer, Hydro-Quebec Energy Services (U.S.) Inc. "Our partnership with Save Winter is an expression of our commitment to the Organizing Committee's efforts to make these Games the greenest in FISU's long-standing history. We look forward to working alongside the Lake Placid 2023 FISU Games' team on their sustainability efforts." 

The FISU World University Games is the largest international winter multi-sport and educational event for collegiate-athletes ages 17-25. The Lake Placid 2023 FISU Games is expected to bring together more than 2,500 athletes and delegates from 600 universities and 50-plus nations to Lake Placid and New York State's North Country region to compete in 12 sports and 86 events.

Ashley Walden, executive director of the Adirondack Sports Council, the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games' Organizing Committee, added, "We are thrilled to have Hydro-Québec join and support the Lake Placid 2023 FISU Games and our Save Winter initiatives, which will set the FISU standard for protecting our planet during an international winter sports competition." 

Save Winter is a movement to unite all who love winter to work as one to save the season of snow. At the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games, the goal of Save Winter is to inform and educate athletes, volunteers, and spectators about easy ways they can make a difference.

• Reducing and mitigating our carbon footprint
  • Incorporating hybrid and electric vehicles in the transportation fleet; replacing fossil fuel generators with electricity from renewable energy where possible and addressing the carbon footprint with tree planting projects.
• Reducing and diverting waste
  • Instituting tri-sort waste systems throughout the Games, avoiding single-use plastic bottles, developing life-cycle solutions for Games-related supplies.
• Practicing responsible sourcing
  • Providing sourcing guidelines and supplier code of conduct to our vendors, sourcing within NYS whenever possible, streamlining procurement to avoid waste.
• Prioritizing diversity and inclusion
  • Working to remove barriers in recruitment of both staff and volunteers, creating opportunities for special projects within underserved and special needs populations.
• Leaving a positive legacy through education
  • The Lake Placid 2023 FISU World Conference will bring together world-class thought leaders to showcase innovations, adaptations, and activism at the intersection of climate change and winter sports.
  • Athletes will experience opportunities for positive change through daily Games operations

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PHOTO Courtesy: Adirondack Sports Council. Photo features Serge Abergel, chief operating officer, Hydro-Quebec Energy Services (U.S.) Inc, Adirondack Mac, the official Mascot of the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games, Ashley Walden, executive director of the Adirondack Sports Council, the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games' Organizing Committee

Media Contact: 

Jon Lundin, 518-637-6885, jlundin@lakeplacid2023.com     

Hydro-Quebec (917) 951-6210

About Hydro-Québec:

Hydro-Québec is the largest renewable energy producer in North America and is ranked #1 among Corporate Knight's 50 Best Canadian Corporate Citizens. 

About FISU World University Games: 

The Winter World University Games is the largest winter multi-sport collegiate athletic event in the world. University students between the ages of 17 and 25 are eligible to enter. In 2018, Lake Placid was selected to host the 2023 World University Games.