Each year, many children throughout the country are unable to participate in organized sports due to financial barriers. This is where KidSport comes in.
KidSport is a children’s charity that was created to aid families with children aged 5-18 to help ensure that kids have a chance to participate in community sport programs. Individual grants of up to $750 are available per calendar year for children and can be made available by filling out an application form, which is available at the Martensville Athletic Pavilion (MAP).
In Martensville alone this year, there were 55 applications received to date, totaling over $20,000 provided to local youth. Each year, the number of applications increases.
Numerous events take place within the community each year to help raise money for KidSport to ensure that as many children as possible can be supported. Donations are accepted year-round; however, each year, local residents are asked to consider giving the “Gift of Sport”.
This year marks the 13th year that KidSport is running the Gift of Sport campaign across the country, and it will run until January 6th, 2025, taking place in 176 community KidSport chapters across Canada, with 41 of them in Saskatchewan.
“At KidSport we envision a Canada where all children have the opportunity to participate in sport,” said Greg Ingalls, CEO of KidSport Canada. “We believe sport to be a social development tool that teaches children life lessons that can change the course of their lives. Your support of our Give the Gift of Sport campaign is an investment in the future of children in your community.”
Donations can be made online at https://kidsportcanada.ca/saskatchewan/, where you can choose Warman and Area KidSport as the chapter name to ensure that donated funds remain within the community. Donations can also be dropped off via cheque at the MAP and can be made payable to Warman, Martensville and Area KidSport.
“We ask that you consider putting a smile on a child’s face this Christmas by helping them get the chance to see the benefits of participating in sport firsthand. The primary goal of KidSport is for ALL kids to play and have fun, and we want to do as much as we can locally to make this happen, and to do that, we need your help,” Martensville KidSport Coordinator, Angie Reddekopp said.
