The funds are in and a local KidSport chapter is ready to help youngsters participate in organized sport.
Board members of the Greater Trail KidSport chapter met with representatives from various sporting bodies Thursday at the Warfield Hall to inform and prepare sports organizers for the first round of KidSport cheques.
“It’ good to get some knowledge of it and how it works,” said Mark Ballarin president of Rossland-Trail minor hockey.
For Ballarin, the information session answered many questions such as dollar amount, the process of application and where to apply.
“As an executive you can’t sit and come up with names of people that come to your organization and say ‘Hey, we can’t afford this,’ – people don’t do that, they just don’t go.”
The important thing is to inform and let people know where and how to access the information and funds to get more people involved, added Ballarin.
Cornerstone sponsors, Teck and Kootenay Savings, have each committed $20,000 over five years and with ongoing donations from business, sport teams, local communities and other organizations, the funds are in place to begin and continue the program.
“We want keep it sustainable,” said KidSport coordinator Trisha Davison. “The one thing that we’ve all been very cautious of is making sure this initiative doesn’t just die one day because we don’t have sustainable funding.”
The chapter has received a dozen applications from families with financial challenges and pays up to $200 per child for registration in a provincially recognized sport. The cheques go directly to the sports organization.
KidSport began in 2000, and handed out almost $800,000 last year and over $1 million already this year.
Applications can be picked up at most sporting facilities and at Fruitvale, Warfield and Montrose Village offices and Trail and Rossland City Halls or at www.kidsporttrail.ca.