By Daniel Cannataro
Every year there are children who miss the opportunity to participate in sport due to lack of money.
Prince Edward-Hastings MP Darryl Kramp announced a funding organization for KidSport Canada. He wants children able to partake in sports and doesn’t want the deficiency of money to play a role.
“Kids that play sports as they are growing up are not only healthy, they learn the importance, cooperation, teamwork and commitment,” said Kramp in a news release.
KidSport Canada should be a success as Kramp thinks it going to educate the public and community. Government funding put KidSport Canada in place and Kramp believes the organization will make it easier for parents to get their kids involved in recreational sports.
The federal government contributed $200,000 to KidSport Canada for projects in 2011-2012 with the assistance of Sport Canada Support Program. One organization in the Quinte area that plays a huge part for children is Jumpstart Canada.
Jumpstart Canada is a non-profit organization that helps provide children age four to 18 access to sport by covering the cost of registration. The association has helped Canadian kids since six years and Canadian Tire has been involved since 2005. Since the launch, Canadian Tire Jumpstart has given nearly 350,000 children a sporting chance according to the Canadian Tire Jumpstart program website. The Children’s Aid Society started Jumpstart.
The program also covers the cost of equipment and/or transportation. There are approximately 310 Canadian Tire Jumpstart programs in the country.
“There are a number of children who are members of either poor working families and they don’t have the opportunity to pay registration. This is a problem to keep themselves from being active,” said Penny Hart, human resource manager for Jumpstart in a interview.
“It has been a successful cause for children all over the Quinte area,” said Hart.
“The CAS is the mediator. As the third party person takes the application and it has to go through the Children’s Aid,” explained Hart.
A mother of four, Tracy Sewell has two young boys who both want to participate in sports but come from a low-income family.
“I have one 13-year old son, who wants to play soccer and another who wants to play baseball in the summer,” said Sewell. “Without JumpStart Canada I don’t know how our family could manage to have both participating.”
If people want to get involved they can contact the CAS and donate.
“The more the better, children need others to reach out in order for them to be able to live a normal life compared to other fortunate kids,” said Hart.