Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. has taken the dairy industry by storm with the recent launch of Crave™, its innovative new option in dairy beverages. And now that Crave has teamed up with Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis, the bold, cold chocolate milk drink is about to get even hotter.

As Crave’s new spokesperson, Kipnis will endorse Crave as the ultimate beverage for active youth and adults and drive consumers to Circle K® convenience stores throughout Ohio. He will also promote the “Second to None” Sweepstakes, a contest hosted by Crave that will award one local baseball team with a clinic given by Kipnis in the summer of 2012. Teams will have the opportunity to enter the contest via the Crave Facebook page Kipnis will be featured on Circle K POS encouraging fans to enter the “Second to None” Sweepstakes online.

In addition to hosting the summer clinic, Crave will be distributing “Player of the Game” certificates to local little leagues to hand out to worthy team players. The certificates will include a coupon for a free bottle of Crave and a buy one get one deal for a hot dog. Kipnis will also make appearances at select stores, promote Crave on his Facebook and Twitter accounts and drive followers to visit Circle K to try Crave!

Crave is packaged in a cutting-edge, aluminum Frost Flow milk bottle that chills fast and stays colder, longer, giving the milk a fresh and intense chocolate flavor. Its innovative design makes it a great option for busy families involved in youth sports. The lightweight bottle’s twist-off cap reseals, making it perfect for snacking on the go. And Crave doesn’t even have to be refrigerated, so you don’t have to worry about throwing it in a gym bag before practice.

By giving youth sports teams the chance to participate in a one-of-a-kind baseball clinic this summer and rewarding hardworking players, Crave, Jason Kipnis and Circle K will help teams have their best season yet.

About Crave

Crave is manufactured by Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc., a family of dairy farmers in Western New York State who care deeply about quality and freshness. Their commitment to their 360 farms provides consumers with a line of wholesome, safe and delicious dairy products. For more information about Crave, visit icravemilk.com.

About Jason Kipnis

Jason made a big splash as a rookie in 2011 after a mid-season promotion and quickly became a fan favorite. The 2009 second-round draft pick out of Arizona State became the first Cleveland second baseman to hit a home run in four consecutive games and also had a five-hit game soon after arriving in the majors. He is active on social media and interacts with his fans on both Twitter and Facebook.

About Circle K

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. parent company of Circle K, is the leader in the Canadian convenience store industry. In North America, Couche-Tard is the largest independent convenience store operator (whether integrated with a petroleum company or not) in terms of number of company-operated stores. Couche-Tard’s network is comprised of 5,795 convenience stores, 4,128 of which include motor fuel dispensing, operated by 13 business units, including nine in the United States covering 43 states and the District of Columbia, and four in Canada covering all ten provinces. More than 53,000 people are employed throughout Couche-Tard’s retail convenience network and service centers.

Credit: Blair Bunting/Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc.