On Thursday October 9, the community gathered for the first-ever Be Her Game Changer fundraising event — a morning of connection, reflection, and inspiration centred around the power of sport for girls and women.

Guests enjoyed a hot breakfast buffet, and heard from an incredible panel of women in sport – athletes and leaders whose lives and careers have been shaped by the power of sport. In celebrating KidSport’s 30 years in the community, the panel reflected on the last 30 years of women’s sports, including the barriers and breakthroughs and imagined what the next 30 years should look like for girls and women in sport. The panel talked about their experiences in sport, how it shaped their lives and identity, and touched on the many facets of their career.

The conversation explored how sport can shape far more than athletic aspirations. It focused on how sport helps build confidence, leadership, community, and opportunity that extend well beyond the playing field.

A special thank you to our incredible panel
Katherine Plouffe, Michelle Plouffe, Lori-Ann Muenzer, Vanessa Hettinger, and Janine Helland. Our panel led an engaging and thought-provoking discussion. Guided by moderator Lisa MacGregor, they shared powerful stories, personal experiences, and insights from the past 30 years of women in sport, while shining a light on the opportunities that lie ahead. Thank you to our emcee, Katie Mulkay, who kept the event on time, shared her success story, and led our land acknowledgement before we kicked things off.

We also want to thank:

  • Aisulu Abdykadyrova, for sharing her family’s incredible story and putting real meaning behind the impact KidSport has in our community
  • Event Partners Vermeer Canada and Benchmark Mortgages for their support in making this event possible
  • The Edmonton Convention Centre, for their support and the incredible food
  • Encore, for their outstanding A/V and event production support
  • Our volunteers who helped make sure everything went smoothly
  • And most importantly, everyone who attended the event

We originally envisioned an intimate room for 80 guests, which organically took off and grew into an event that welcomed over 200! There was a buzz, and the atmosphere in the room was powerful as we listened, learned, and became more inspired as the conversation went on.

Together, we raised over $12,000 (net) in support of KidSport Girls, meaning at least 50 local KidSport girls will now have access to participate in their sport this year through subsidized sport registration fees.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this first-ever Be Her Game Changer an unforgettable success. This is only the beginning. 💪✨

Some of the great shots taken at the event