Province of British Columbia proclaims October 1-7, 2023 as KidSport BC Powered by Sport BC Week
Sport BC has a lot to celebrate this month, starting with KidSport BC Powered by Sport BC Week from October 1-7, followed by celebrations to acknowledge the 30th anniversary of the home grown KidSport program.
KidSport BC Powered by Sport BC Week is an opportunity to raise the profile of KidSport across the province to help more kids get off the sidelines and into the game. Through a confidential application process, the KidSport program aims to remove financial barriers to sport participation by providing grants to help cover the costs of registration fees so more children and youth can experience the joy of a season of sport.
“I commend the valuable work Sport BC does to create opportunities in sport for kids,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. “Our government is proud to support the KidSport BC program that removes financial barriers and levels the playing field so more kids can partake in the thrills and benefits of sport participation.”
While the costs associated with organized sport can be challenging, there are many benefits to sport participation that make the investment worthwhile. It is well documented that participation in sport can benefit both a child’s physical and mental health, and provides important opportunities for kids to build friendships, gain confidence and create positive community connections that help fuel their potential.
“Sport BC believes in the transformative power of sport to contribute to healthy communities, friendships, leaders, connections and resilience," says Sport BC's President & CEO, Rob Newman. "We, along with our Sport BC members, their local sport clubs, and KidSport chapters, work to enhance and support sport participation for kids and youth across British Columbia ensuring ALL kids have the opportunity to thrive through sport.”
This year, the need for support seems to be especially great. Many families are struggling with the rising cost of living due to inflation and increasing interest rates and are turning to KidSport for assistance.
“We are seeing a significant increase in grant applications in comparison to the past couple of years,” says Angela Crowther, KidSport BC’s Director. “It’s clear that there are many families who need support. We’re doing our best to keep up with the growing demand, but right now there are more grants going out than donations coming in and it’s going to get difficult to sustain things at this rate.”
Celebrating 30 Years of KidSport
The KidSport concept was launched in 1993 by board and staff at Sport BC as a way to help address the challenges faced by many families when registering their children in organized sport. From a modest start in that first year, KidSport has since expanded across the country to become a national entity with 11 provincial/territorial chapters and over 160 community chapters.
Thirty years later, the KidSport BC Provincial Office and KidSport Community Chapters across the province have funded a season of sport for over 80,000 kids totaling more than $19 million in grants.
“Sport BC is extremely proud of the impact the KidSport program has had for kids and families over the past 30 years,” says Rob Newman. “We look forward to celebrating the 30th anniversary of the KidSport program and hope to have an even greater impact in the years to come.”
“I would like to extend a special thank you to all of the partners, donors, sponsors, ambassadors, and volunteers who have helped ensure that thousands of kids have benefited from quality sport experiences through KidSport over the past 30 years,” adds Angela Crowther. “Thank you for your support to ensure ALL kids can play.”
Fast Facts: KidSport Impact Across BC
- The KidSport program aims to remove financial barriers to sport participation by providing grants to help cover the costs of sport registration fees so more children and youth can experience the joy of a season of sport.
- KidSport is a Registered Canadian Amateur Athletic Association (RCAAA) with operations in 11 provinces/territories and over 160 community chapters across Canada.
- There are 39 community chapters across the province in addition to the BC Provincial Office. The majority of the community chapters are driven by passionate volunteers who, raise funds, accept applications and distribute grants for kids in their community.
- For communities that don’t have a KidSport chapter, grant requests are supported through the BC Provincial Fund, which is administered by the BC Provincial Office. The Provincial Fund supported kids in 72 communities in 2022, including Fort Nelson, Hazelton and Area, Chilliwack, Creston, Salmon Arm, Campbell River and more.
- Grant requests to the Provincial Fund are tracking well over last years results (up 89%) and granting totals have already surpassed 2022 final numbers.
- Last year (2022) KidSport chapters across BC distributed more than $1.7 million to help 5,377 kids in 180 communities across the province.
- More than 1/3 (36%) of all grants in 2022 supported populations that are of often under-represented in sport, including Indigenous children, athletes with a disability, and new Canadians.
- The top sports funded across BC in 2022 were:
- KidSport relies on donations from the public (individuals, companies, community events). Support your local chapter or donate to the Provincial Fund at kidsport.ca/british-columbia.
About KidSport BC
The KidSport program aims to remove financial barriers to sport participation by providing grants to help cover the costs of registration fees. This program is intended to help increase participation numbers for Sport BC members and their local clubs by helping under-resourced children and youth access a season of sport. KidSport is a Registered Canadian Amateur Athletic Association (“RCAAA”) with charitable status and can issue tax receipts to donors. Learn more at kidsportcanada.ca/british-columbia or follow us @KidSportBC.
About Sport BC
Sport BC believes in the power of sport and is committed to building stronger communities through positive sport experiences. Our goal is to enhance and support sport participation in British Columbia ensuring everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Sport BC supports our 75 member organizations through our signature programs KidSport BC, BC Amateur Sport Fund, and ProMOTION Plus, and through our services Sport BC Insurance, and Payroll and Group Benefits. Learn more at sportbc.com or follow us @SportBC.