Give the Gift of Sport this holiday season
KidSport Calls on Canadians to Give the Gift of Sport this Holiday Season
National not-for-profit aims to raise $200,000 to help more children play organized sport in 2019
Charlottetown – November 15, 2018 – KidSport™ launched their seventh annual Give the Gift of Sport fundraising campaign today, calling on Canadians to donate online at KidSport.ca/GiftofSport. Over 30 percent of Canadian youth under the age of 18 cannot afford to play organized sport. With the help of Canadians across the country, KidSport’s annual campaign—running until January 7, 2019—aims to get more kids off the sidelines, into the game, and experience the gift of sport.
“Organized sport provides our children with so many benefits. We know it can help them be healthier, but it can also help them with things like their education and social development,” says Jamie Ferguson, Chair of KidSport. “In essence, sport can provide our children with a head start on life. At KidSport we believe every child deserves that chance. Please give to our Give the Gift of Sport campaign and help make more head starts happen.”
According to the 2014 CIBC KidSport Report, 82% of Canadians know a child who cannot participate in organized sport due to financial barriers. KidSport wants to change these statistics by providing grants to the growing volume of applications received each year, and continue to fund sport registration fees for more than 100 different sports across Canada.
Since its creation in 1993, KidSport has disbursed $75M and helped over 825,000 kids from coast to coast to coast receive grants and sport introduction programming, thanks to the support from the Government of Canada, national corporate partners like Saputo, the Jays Care Foundation, and the generosity of Canadian donors. There is new demand each year, however, and KidSport can make a bigger impact with your help by donating to the Give the Gift of Sport campaign.
“Without support from KidSport, I wouldn’t have had the chance to pursue my dreams and eventually represent Canada on the world stage,” says two-time Olympian and a past KidSport grant recipient Richard Hortness. “Having the opportunity to play organized sport taught me so many valuable life lessons that all Canadian youth should have the opportunity to experience”.
Every donation counts and will contribute to making a difference in a child’s life. An average donation of $250 can provide one child a full season of sport—the type of gift that will last well beyond the holidays. Make your contribution today to Give the Gift of Sport at KidSport.ca/GiftofSport, where personal, corporate or tribute donations can be directed to any of KidSport’s 178 community chapters. Learn more about KidSport and join the holiday conversation on Twitter @KidSport and #GiftofSport, on Facebook.com/KidSportCanada, or online at KidSport.ca/GiftofSport.
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About KidSport:
KidSport is a national not-for-profit organization that helps remove financial barriers that prevent kids from playing sport by providing assistance for registration fees and sport equipment to children aged 18 and under. Through a confidential application process grants are given so they can play a season of sport. With 178 community chapters across Canada, KidSport provides support to kids from coast to coast to coast. Since its creation in 1993, $75M has been disbursed to over 825,000 kids across the country offering the chance to play sport through KidSport grants and sport introduction programming.
For more information:
KidSport PEI
sports@sportpei.pe.ca
902 368 4110