MONTREAL, QC – Less than two weeks remain in the ITECH Design-A-Mark Contest, brought to you by General Mills, which invites children from across Canada to draw an original Canadian-themed mask design that will be worn by the goaltenders of Canada’s National Junior Team during the upcoming 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa, ON.

To participate in the Design-A-Mask contest, contestants must be Canadian residents 18 years old or younger. All entries must reflect Canadian themes and include the Hockey Canada logo. To download the official Design-A-Mask contest template, participants must visit www.goldengoaliemask.com. All completed templates must then be mailed back to ITECH. Winners will be contacted and announced in early December.

Now in its 6th year, the competition will again generate two winners – one for the 13-and-older category, and one for the 12-and-under age group. Past winners have seen their designs worn by the likes of Marc-André Fleury, Justin Pogge, Jeff Glass and Steve Mason.

Apart from the thrill of having their designs chosen by the hockey industry’s top goaltender aficionados and worn by Canada’s netminders, the two contest winners will also receive their very own duplicate, custom-painted ITECH mask, which will be autographed by members of Canada’s National Junior Team. In addition, one of the winning masks from the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship will be donated to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto following the tournament and will go on display there.

Additional prizes will also be available, so look for specially marked boxes of Golden Grahams.

About General Mills
Established in 1954, General Mills Canada Corporation is based in Mississauga, ON. The company is best known for the many quality brands enjoyed by Canadian consumers each day.

The company’s flagship brand is Cheerios*. Additional key cereal brands include Honey Nut Cheerios*, Oatmeal Crisp*, Nesquik® and Lucky Charms*. General Mills also makes Betty Crocker*, Nature Valley*, Pillsbury*, Green Giant*, Hamburger Helper* and Old El Paso* products.

With the primary focus being Youth, Nutrition and Fitness, General Mills is dedicated to fostering good nutrition and fitness behaviours amongst young Canadians through the Champions for Health Kids grant program. In other areas, General Mills has been a long time supporter of organizations such as the Active Healthy Kids Canada, Concerned Children's Advertisers, Hockey Canada and the Canadian Olympic Team.

*Trademarks of General Mills or its affiliates
® Trademark Owner: Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland

About Mission-ITECH Hockey
Created in May of 2004 following the merger of Mission Hockey and I-TECH Sport Products Inc., Mission-ITECH Hockey Ltd. has quickly become a top-tier, trend-setting hockey equipment manufacturer that competes on the global market through its central headquarters in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. With two well-known and widely respected hockey brands, Mission and ITECH, the company boasts a long list of impressive professional athlete endorsements and league designations such as The Official Visor and Goalie Mask of the NHL and The Exclusive Facial Protection of Hockey Canada.