LAKELAND - Challenging economic times and the increasing costs for children and youth to play sports have prompted many families in the Lakeland region to seek assistance through local chapters of KidSport and the Canadian Tire Jumpstart program.
Darryl Poirier, the chairman of the St. Paul KidSport committee, said the organization has received more applications in recent years for local kids wanting to play various sporting activities.
“Last year, we supported just over 100 children in the area to participate in activities,” Poirier told Lakeland This Week, explaining that activities covered by KidSport include football, hockey, karate, dance, swimming as well as school sports. “The busiest time is fall and winter months. In general, hockey and school sports are the two largest users of the fund.”
The general limit allotted by St. Paul KidSport is $300 per child per year. However, with so many kids wanting to play hockey, which is an expensive sport due to the specialized equipment, Poirier says the St. Paul chapter has been working with the Edmonton Oilers through the Oil Country Hockey Assist Program (HAP) in a bid to get hockey youngsters onto the ice. HAP, which is done in conjunction with KidSport Alberta, helps to cover the cost of registration fees and provides access to no-cost equipment through Sports Central.
As Poirier explains, this special program caps the assistance at $750 per child, with the local KidSport chapter covering the first $250.
Poirier realizes that it can be a difficult decision to ask for financial assistance, as many people may feel too proud to ask for help. But he says people from all walks of life can find themselves struggling in these challenging economic times.
When an application for assistance does go through any KidSport chapter across the Lakeland, Poirier says that it is a confidential process.
What people have to remember, he said, is that it is all for the kids.
KidSport
Over the 25 years that he has been involved with KidSport, Poirier says that there have been many memorable moments, especially when seeing the appreciation on the faces of parents and children.
“I have been fortunate to see many of the children we help go on to higher levels of accomplishment in sports and life in general,” he said. “Helping out in a time of need and aiding in keeping children in sports is very gratifying for all this who have worked with KidSport.”
Brad Ollen, is the chair of KidSport Bonnyville. He said in 2023, the organization funded 79 local kids.
“The number fluctuates a little bit year to year, but it has been increasing again since 2021 when sport participation in general was still lower than 2019,” Ollen said, adding that last year, the most kids funded were either in hockey or soccer.
Like the St. Paul chapter, KidSport Bonnyville also utilizes the Oil Country Hockey Assist Program through KidSport Alberta.
Furthermore, the provincial government has provided a significant amount of funds to non-profit organizations in the province for sporting initiatives, and Ollen says KidSport Bonnyville has been fortunate enough to have received some of that funding.
KidSport chapters also raise their own funds through various local fundraising events such as golf, soccer, and hockey tournaments, barbecues, and general community fundraisers where volunteers are required to help serve food, clear tables, and clean up.
“While some years are better than others for raising money, we’ve been able to fund every kid that has been approved since we relaunched the KidSport Bonnyville committee in 2011 thanks to the support of our generous community,” Ollen stated, explaining like Poirier, that kids and sports are part of a bigger picture.
“Participation in sport improves the health and well-being of kids and gives them the opportunity to create friendships and develop life skills to help them be successful members of society,” he said.
According to the KidSport Lac La Biche social media page, the organization sponsored 170 local kids, with the top three sports funded being hockey, dance, and swimming. The Lac La Biche Post newsroom reached out to the local chapter of KidSport but has not received a reply.
Jumpstart
Canadian Tire stores have also been helping kids in the Lakeland region to access various sports through the company’s Jumpstart Charities initiative.
Canadian Tire stores across the Lakeland can be found in Cold Lake, St. Paul, Athabasca and Vegreville.
According to Brad Ellard, the regional manager of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities in Alberta, as the cost of sports continues to rise, officials with the program are seeing a growing demand for Jumpstart funding across not only across Alberta and Canada, but locally as well.
“Last year, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities (Jumpstart) helped more than 1,000 kids within the Lakeland Region get off the sidelines and into the game,” Ellard said, adding that Canadian Tire dealers and employees are key supporters and fundraisers for Jumpstart. While all dealers engage with their local communities in different ways, he added, all Canadian Tire stores offer customers and residents the opportunity to donate to Jumpstart upon check-out.
More details on the KidSport and Jumpstart programs can be found on the websites of each organization.
