Ontario Government Helps Children And Youth Access Sport And Recreation Activities
Grant Supports New Province-Wide JumpStart Program
TORONTO, Feb. 8 /CNW/ - The Ontario government is providing the Canadian
Tire Foundation for Families' JumpStart Program with a grant to increase
access to sport and recreation for 5,000 disadvantaged children and youth,
Minister of Tourism and Recreation Jim Bradley announced today.
"This grant will help JumpStart branch out to communities across the
province, bringing sport and recreation opportunities to 5,000 disadvantaged
children and youth," said Bradley. "Providing more opportunities for sport and
physical activity helps to build strong and healthy communities."
The Ontario government is providing this grant for JumpStart from its
$5.2 million Communities in Action Fund. The Communities in Action Fund
provides funds for new initiatives that contribute to increasing opportunities
for Ontarians to be physically active and play sports. The fund helps local
and provincial not-for-profit organizations provide more community sport and
recreation projects. Priority will be given to projects that benefit
underserved groups like older adults, children and youth, girls and women,
persons with disabilities, Aboriginal people, those in low-income categories
and visible and ethnic minorities.
The $100,000 Communities in Action Fund grant will be used to help the
foundation establish the JumpStart program across the province. The foundation
will identify 5,000 disadvantaged children and youth who want to take part in
sport and recreation but do not have the financial means to do so, and will
fund their involvement.
"This is good news for families of modest means whose kids want to
participate in sport and physical activity," said Bradley. "Through the
Communities in Action Fund, we are working to ensure that financial
circumstances do not prevent Ontarians from getting a chance to play."
