KidSport has helped 51 kids play sports locally!

By Ken Johnston
Editor

At this time of year where so many people are giving, one organization prides itself on giving all year round.
Rainy River KidSport, now in its third year of existence, has been helping kids facing financial barriers play sports in the region from Stratton in the east and Morson in the North and Rainy River in the west.
However, like so many charities, as the economy has taken a turn for the worse, they have been asked to do more for kids. “Applications are way up this fall,” said RR KidSport chair Rebecca Tolen on Thursday. “I am not sure what the reason is, but it is likely connected to the hard economic times and possibly the fact that people are getting to be more aware of what KidSport is.”
KidSport is completely non-profit with a board that is all volunteers. Last year they received $1,000 from KidSport Ontario and the rest of their funding came from fund raising activities as well as generous donations. Two weekends ago at Rainy River’s Santa Claus Saturday, the local Covenant Church hosted a pancake breakfast at the Recreation Centre and then proceeded to donate all $425 they grossed to KidSport. Tolen said she was take aback by the generosity, “They did not even take any money out for their costs!”
Tolen said that RR KidSport recently held a weekly raffle and raised $375 on it and will be holding monthly bingos on the last Friday of each month. There was one in November but they lost money and hope that the crowd will pick up when they resume again in January.
Kenora-Rainy River Member of Provincial Parliament Howard Hampton has also been a generous supporter of the program having donated $2,000 annually.
Riverview School staff also gave the program $250 recently from their casual Friday’s fund and Tolen said that RRHS staff has indicated it will be doing the same very soon.
Tolen said the motto of KidSport is, “So all kids can play!” Kids fill out an application which are availabe at all school offices in Rainy River, Morson and Stratton areas. It is a completely confidential process and if approved an applicant can receive up to $250 per season. However, with money being limited and more applications up this year, Tolen noted that preference is being given to first time applicants first. So far this year they have helped 27 kids and over the three year period a total of 51 have been helped. If all of them received $250 that is $12,750 worth of help in three years!
To date kids have been helped overcome barriers such as transportation costs or equipment costs for hockey, figure skating, swimming, dance, curling, soccer, cross-country, track and field, basketball and volleyball.
The KidSport board is comprised of Tolen as Chair, Veldron Vogan as Treasurer, Gabe Langlais as Secretary, and Meghan Shanks, Dianne McCormack and Heather Anderson as board members. Tolen said, “This is a really amazing program. It is run by volunteers and helps so many kids get opportunities they otherwise might not have had.”
Anyone wanting to donate to the cause can do so and get a charitable tax receipt.
In addition to helping kids play organized sports, they also hold two KidSports days throughout the year. At those they give kids a chance to try various sports to see if they like them. They also host the annual Rainy River Walleye Kids Tournament. All absolutely free. To run these events they also need volunteers so if a person would like to support KidSport but can not afford to make a financial contribution they can volunteer.
Anyone interested in the program, whether to apply for help, to donate time or money can contact Veldron Vogan at the Rainy River Town Office (852-3244) or Rebecca Tolen at Rainy River High School (852-3284).