Kamloops KidSport and Pacific Sport Interior supporting local athletes

Two local sports support groups have swung into action to help athletes and their families to get through difficult times.

KamloopsKidSport is a local chapter of KidSport Canada, that recognizes that over 30% of Canadian youth under the age of 18 can not afford to play organized sport.

With that in mind Kamloops KidSport has launched its 9th annual Give the Gift of Sport campaign.

“All funds that are raised in the community stay within the community,” says Elsa Poppleton of KidSport Kamloops. “All those funds go directly towards those kids and making sure they are being able to participate in sport and other activities.”

Funding is for registraton and equipment with KidSport Kamloops working directly with local sports suppliers to make sure all funds stay in the community.

“It’s been almost $100,000 that we contributed to athletes last year,” says Poppleton. “That was just one year, so that was about 250 athletes.”

Over at PacificSport Interior the organization is providing two funding grants to help local sport organizations in the interior B.C. region and a second funding for Pacific Sport Interior registered athletes.

“Our Board of Directors approved some funding support to go to local sport organizations, including indigenous groups in our interior B.C. region,” says executive director Carolynn Boomer. “We have our registered athletes who we support and even though we know that there are not national competitions for these athletes — we know that there’s still training committments, equipment —- there’s still some support that those athletes need as well.”

KidSport Kamloops and PacificSport Interior recognize that the pandemic has significantly impacted youth in B.C., and know that sport is a key aspect of their physical and mental health.

That now is more important than ever in helping young athletes and their families.

“Being able to provide some assistance and being able to alleviate some stress and anxiety that may be in the household right now — the changes in the school atmosphere for those children are very different,” says Elsa Poppleton. “Being able to provide them that opportunity to be able to participate in sports is a wonderful thing. I think this year out of all of the years it’s very crucial that we are there, and able to support any family that we can.”

“We’re trying to keep one foot in front of the other to just make some normalcy in training practices,” says Carolynn Boomer. “It wasn’t so much now about the end result of winning or being able to compete. So that’s kind of the very basic level of what sport provides is that sheer love of actually playing and participating.”

by Earl Seitz

Kamloops KidSport and Pacific Sport Interior supporting local athletes

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