Rainy River the first KidSport chapter in NWO

By Ken Johnston
Editor

On Saturday about 60 kids attended the kickoff of the newest chapter of KidSport in Canada in Rainy River.
The provincial manager for KidSport, Lyle Abbott, was on hand to present the committee members with a cheque for $3,000 and six sets of full hockey equipment donated by corporate sponsors Nike and Bauer.
KidSport’s mission is to help under serviced kids break through social and economic barriers preventing or limiting their participation in organized sport and physical activity. Barriers may be family economics or even travel costs.
KidSport began in 1993 in British Columbia when a group of citizens decided to hold a fund raising activity to help under serviced youth participate in local sports. They anticipated raising $5,000. Instead they raised $35,000 and KidSport was born. It is now in 10 provinces and one territory.
In addition to receiving their start up money, which Abbott said is just the first installment, the Rainy River KidSport chapter, #176, held a Fun Zone day. They brought local youth sports clubs and groups together to allow kids to try different sports for free. After the kickoff ceremony in the upstairs of the Rainy River Recreation Centre, clinics featuring indoor soccer, volleyball, basketball, badminton, figure skating, hockey, tae kwon do and curling were held at three different facilities. Kids signed up and then rotated to the various clinics.
“The idea is for them to try sports they haven’t tried before,” said RR KidSport President Rebecca Tolen. Then if they want to join them but are unable to for various financial reasons, they can apply for a grant from KidSport. Each eligible kid can receive up to $250 annually to help with registration fees and travel costs. The good thing about KidSport in comparison to some previously run programs, is that a kid can receive the funding each year if there is a proven need and not just once in their lifetime.
In the past run programs were similar in nature but often only provided start up funding and then relied on local fund raising efforts. KidSport is funded every year and Abbott said he anticipates Rainy River will receive between $6,000 and $10,000 annually. “If they do any fund raising, which is entirely up to them, it will all stay in the Rainy River chapter,” explained Abbott.
The Rainy River Chapter encompasses kids from Morson in the north and Stratton in the east. Abbott said that a new chapter was also opened in Fort Frances Saturday and that others for communities like Emo are in the works.
KidSport came to Ontario in 2000 but Abbott noted that there was one area that did not have any chapters; Northwestern Ontario. “Now that is changing with the launch of the very first chapter here in Northwestern Ontario right here in Rainy River !”
Abbott said that the Ontario Trillium Foundation provided start up funding but noted that the vast majority of the program’s funding comes from corporate donations and from government health agencies such as the Ministry of Health Promotion in Ontario.
Anyone wanting to apply for KidSport assistance can contact Rec. Director Patrick Briere at 852-4446, committee member Veldron Vogan at the town office at 852-3244 or Rebecca Tolen at RRHS at 852-3284. Other committee members include Mayor Deb Ewald, Debbie Armstrong, Gabe Langlais, Janice Olson, Diane McCormick and Heather Anderson.