KidSport grants over $1M in sports participation to youth in Medicine Hat

Hannah Minor, director of KidSport’s Medicine Hat board, said that kids have been able to open up through participation in sports.

She said that sports can have such an impact on kids— personality, social, and education-wise.

Minor said that the milestone the organization has reached demonstrates the need families have to get their kids into sports with rising costs.

“It’s a huge, huge achievement for us. I think it speaks to the need in the city and the need that’s been growing since our chapter started,” she said.

“We’re also incredibly proud of it because we feel that getting kids into sports helps build character, it teaches lifelong lessons, and also just helps to support our community as a whole.”

“I think it speaks to the need in the city,” said Minor. Jayk Sterkenburg/CHAT News

The funding is intended to help kids overcome financial barriers to participation in organized sport.

KidSport said that one in three Canadian youth under the age of 18 face the reality that they cannot afford to play organized sports.

The local not-for-profit organization stated that it is dedicated to changing these statistics by offering financial support to children aged 18 and under.

Through grants of up to $300 per child per year for registration fees and equipment costs, they ensure that no child is left behind — giving kids the opportunity to be active, healthy, and part of a team.

Connelly Sherwick, board chair of KidSport Medicine Hat and Redcliff, said that the organization’s mission is “to ensure that no child is ever left watching from the sidelines.”

“We believe that the power of sport is transformative, helping children grow socially, mentally, and physically,” Sherwick said in a statement.

All donations to the local chapter are used within the community, directly impacting local youth and shaping the sports culture in Medicine Hat and Redcliff.

“Through our confidential application process, we are able to assist kids who would otherwise be unable to afford the costs of registration fees and equipment, allowing them to enjoy a full season of sport,” said Sherwick.

In 2023, Alberta’s government launched the Every Kid Can Play Program, further to the success of the previous Return to Play Program.

In doing so, $3,460,150 was committed to KidSport Alberta to promote equal play across the province of Alberta.

This was done by providing subsidies for program registration costs to help children and youth whose families require financial assistance to access sport, physical activity, and recreation.

During a record-breaking 2024, KidSport Alberta chapters supported more kids into sport programs than ever before, and thanks the EKCPP for being capable of doing so.

by Jayk Sterkenburg

KidSport grants over $1M in sports participation to youth in Medicine Hat

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