KidSport partners with Sysco to raise funds for area families
By Jensen, Randy on July 13, 2020.
Members of KidSport Lethbridge and Sysco join together to help raise funds to put local kids in sports programming for summer sports, Saturday afternoon. Herald photo by Greg Bobinec @GBobinecHeraldGreg Bobinec
Lethbridge Herald
COVID-19 has put a halt to many community organizations that depend on community fundraisers to keep programs running. With two major fundraisers cancelled, a local organization found new ways to keep its programming operating for local children.
The Lethbridge and Taber area chapter of KidSport relies heavily on community donations to be able to allow children who can’t afford to play sports, to be enrolled. With two of their largest fundraisers cancelled due to social distancing protocols, they found a new way to still support kids’ sporting activities.
“We weren’t able to do our two major fundraisers that we do every year. One is a Leadership Day called Leader Cast which we do in May, we couldn’t do that, we also have a golf tournament that would have been running next week but we can’t do that,” says Genny Hunter-Barr, volunteer for KidSport. “We have a board member who came up with the idea to do Sysco and we are doing a pre-order and pick up fundraiser today. There are barbeque boxes that have chicken and steak and the regular barbeque stuff, we also have burgers, shrimp, bacon and a lot more to be ordered.”
Sporting activities have recently reopened with some restrictions, and more are to be opened in future phases or reopening in the province since COVID-19. With summer in full swing and sports reopening, Hunter-Barr says they are expecting a lot more families in need of support, as well as the demand for activity following months of quarantine.
“We fund kids who can’t afford to play sports, low-income families, and as of right now we probably have a lot more, and sport is now starting again so we will be funding those kids and any money that we raise here in Lethbridge and Taber area will stay in the Lethbridge and Taber area,” says Hunter-Barr. “It is really good, especially nowadays kids have to go back and play sports because they have been stuck in their house with their parents.”
This year, 2020, was also supposed to be the year KidSport would celebrate 25 years of community support in allowing low-income family children to still participate in activities. Although the celebration is being postponed until next year, KidSport will still be fundraising in different ways throughout the summer.
“KidSport was supposed to be celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, so happy 2020, but next year we will celebrate 26 years as if it was our 25th celebration,” says Hunter-Barr. “If people want to donate, we do have a promotion starting this week called Back to Sport. There is a fundraiser on our website, KidSport.ca, and find our chapter and click the donation button, or we will be on social media promoting it.”
As area families start to find summer activities available for their kids to keep active after quarantine, KidSport is helping in-need families get their children the fun and activity they deserve. For more information, or to donate to help local children be involved in sport activity, visit KidSport.ca.
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