YELLOWKNIFE – December 3, 2018 – The KidSport™ Athlete Ambassador program of elite athletes helps ensure the next generation of Canadian athletes have the same opportunities to discover the power of sport. Over 30 percent of Canadian youth under the age of 18 cannot afford to play organized sport, KidSport aims to get more kids off the sidelines, into the game. The KidSport team of Athlete Ambassadors across Canada recognize the impact that participation in sport at a young age had on who they are today—not only as elite athletes, but also as people.
KidSport NWT is pleased to announce the first Athlete Ambassador for the Territory, Kerry Galusha, skip of Team Galusha. Kerry is a Curling Champion as well as the 2017 Sport North Female Senior Athlete of the Year.
Sport provides much more than just trophies and medals. Sport helps to shape the lives of our youth by promoting the benefits of teamwork, fair-play, hard work and perseverance. KidSport helps to break down the financial barriers to participation so kids can gain these many benefits. Too many children in the Northwest Territories and across Canada are sitting on the sidelines dreaming of the day they can play the sport of their choice.
“With Kerry as an Ambassador of KidSport NWT, we are hoping to raise awareness about the program across the Territory. Sport has obviously made a tremendous impact on Kerry’s life and allowed her to travel around the country and world to compete, we want kids in the North to see that if a young girl from Yellowknife can play on the International stage and have her games aired on TSN that they too can dream big.” says Executive Director of Sport North, Doug Rentmeister.
"The NWT Curling Association is thrilled with Kerry being named KidSport’s first NWT Ambassador! We applaud her perseverance and hard work to improve her skills over the years, which in combination with her sterling representation of our Game, has culminated in this honour. Curling is a family sport and especially in the North where the winters are long - much time is spent as a family at the rink. It is so nice that Kerry is giving back what was so important to her growing up. Curling has provided many opportunities for youth and Kerry is a strong role model who has not forgotten her roots" – Davida Delorey, NWTCA Board of Directors – Hay River Club rep.
KidSport NWT allocated over $27,000 to help children in need participate in 12 sport programs across the territory in 2017. As an Ambassador, Kerry will directly impact hundreds of lives throughout the NWT.
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, $68M has been disbursed to over 750,000 kids across the country offering the chance to play sport through KidSport grants and sport introduction programming.
For more information:
Kendra Wambold KidSport NWT Coordinator kwambold@sportnorth.com