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Give the Gift of Sport This Year

by Shanine Sealey

During the holiday season, many people look for ways that they can give back and help others that may be less fortunate and have less opportunities available to them. Locally, you can support youth by providing the “Gift of Sport” this year.

This is a provincial initiative through KidSport, an organization that helps provide financial assistance to families with children under the age of 18 that are interested in participating in local sports programs and would otherwise be unable to afford them. This campaign will run throughout the month of December.

This year marks the 10th annual Give the Gift of Sport campaign and according to the KidSport website, more than 30 per cent of Canadian youth under 18 cannot afford to play organized sport.

Although the campaign is spearheaded through the provincial organization, donations can be directed to the Warman, Martensville & Area KidSport chapter during the online donation process, which can be found at bit.ly/3H7ipER. Another option is to drop off cash or a cheque to the Martensville Athletic Pavilion (MAP). Any amount over $25 is eligible for a tax receipt.

In 2021, Martensville KidSport has seen over 45 applications come in and over $13,500 in funds go towards helping kids participate in organized sports. KidSport applications are available at the MAP.

“For the past five years or so, we haven’t had enough money in our account to cover applications fully, so we have been providing a percentage of them. The amount of money coming in isn’t enough to cover the complete cost of the applications, which is why we are always looking for new ways to raise funds, create new partnerships within the community and raise awareness of KidSport in the community,” Martensville KidSport Coordinator Angie Reddekopp said.

This year, Reddekopp noted that they are still seeing impacts from the COVID pandemic when it comes to program registration; however, she believes that once people begin to feel safer participating in activities and restrictions begin to lift, they could see a surge in applications. “There have been many families financially impacted by the pandemic, so we are hoping to have funds in place so when applications come in, we can support them,” Reddekopp explained.

It has been proven that kids that participate in sport are more likely to have better grades and less likely to drop out of school. Additionally, sports can help children to develop team building skills, as well as have better focus and motivation in their lives. “What better way to give a child a better outlook on life from being involved in sport by giving a gift that can last them a lifetime,” Reddekopp added.

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