Winnipeg – November 19, 2015 – KidSport™ launched their fourth 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 8, 2016—aims to get more kids off the sidelines, into the game, and experience the gift of sport.

 

“At KidSport, we believe that every child deserves to experience the positive outcomes of organized sport—from building self-confidence to learning life skills, like teamwork,” says Jamie Ferguson, Chair of KidSport. “Through Give the Gift of Sport, we are able to help more of the 1 in 3 Canadian children who are unable to participate in sport due to financial barriers.”

 

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 helped over 530,000 kids from coast to coast to coast receive grants and sport introduction programming, thanks to the help of the Government of Canada, national corporate partners like CIBC, Jays Care Foundation, Oxford Learning 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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