(Image Credit: Kamloops United Football Club/Facebook)

By Victor Kaisar

Grant Funding

Kamloops United Football Club nets Whitecaps Foundation grant to grow futsal program

Jan 25, 2026 | 4:05 PM

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops United Football Club (KUFC) is the recipient of $12,500 from the Vancouver Whitecaps Foundation as part of the Home Field Heroes grant program.

General Manager Lyle Dos Santos says they’ll use that money to grow their fledgling futsal program.

“We thought its a great way to get entry-level kids playing the game,” Dos Santos told CFJC. “The game is really focused on skill development, so it really does help at those early ages to turn young little players into active footballers.”

The Home Field Heroes grant program was launched in September and eligible community soccer organizations were able to apply for funding to improve local pitches, upgrade equipment, and enhance infrastructure at the grassroots level.

TELUS committed to donating $2,500 for every goal scored by the Whitecaps between Sept. 13 and Oct. 18, to a maximum of $50,000, while fans were able to donate to the program as well.

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“Access to sports offers our youth incredible opportunities to connect, grow and thrive, and these organizations are making a meaningful difference in our communities,” Patrick Barron, the vice president of Corporate Citizenship & Sustainability at TELUS said in a statement.

Other grant recipients include the BC Newcomers Association and Canada SCORES Vancouver, who got $12,500 each, while both the North Shore Girls Soccer Club and South Delta United Soccer Club got the maximum $15,000.

“We are thrilled to be able to support these deserving recipients,” said Jennifer Scott, the chair for the Whitecaps FC Foundation.

“We are also grateful to TELUS for their incredible contributions, which will go a long way in helping each of these organizations provide the right equipment to enhance the soccer experiences of their participants.”

Better Indoor Training Options

Dos Santos says while KUFC applied for the maximum funding amount they’re grateful for the money they got.

“The equipment has been ordered through our partners at Hansport and now we’re just getting ready to start building out the mechanics,” he said. “We’re in the process of figuring out the courts and the gyms and the structure.”

“We really want to make this similar to our community program where its regionalized, so people can register based on their neighbourhood and they don’t have to drive all over town to get access to programming.”

While KUFC already offers a small futsal program through its BMO Selects program, Dos Santos notes outdoor training opportunities can be limited during the colder winter months in Kamloops.

“They’re training three times a week and we do two training sessions inside our soccer dome and a futsal session at schools,” Dos Santos said. “We’ve partnered with St. Anne’s and OLPH as well as some of the SD73 schools but we’re looking to ramp that up for next year.”

“We want to really build out this program across the community so kids at the younger ages can get access.”