Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities Launches $8 Million Sport Relief Fund to Preserve Play

Charity Marks 15 Years of Helping Kids Across Canada Access Sport and Play

TORONTO, Sept. 9, 2020 /CNW/ – Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities (Jumpstart) today announced an $8 million sport relief fund to help sport and recreation organizations continue to deliver programming in 2020 and beyond. Many community organizations have shut their doors due to the financial burden created by COVID-19, including lost revenue and increased program costs.

According to a nationwide survey of 1,300 sport organizations, 73% of community sport organizations are temporarily closed and more than 50% will not resume operations until 2021¹. With a fifteen-year history of supporting access to sport and play for kids across Canada and an understanding of the role sport plays in the health and well-being of kids and their families, Jumpstart is doing everything possible to help community sports continue.

Jumpstart’s Sport Relief Fund will provide support based on need in the form of grants which will go towards covering programming and operational needs to enable safe sport and play across the country. Open from September 12 to October 4, the fund is available to eligible organizations who demonstrate the greatest need.

“The pandemic has put a significant strain on Canada’s recreational sport system,” said Scott Fraser, President, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities. “As a Charity that enables inclusive sport and play to help build stronger and healthier communities, we are doing everything in our power to maintain opportunities for kids to get involved beyond COVID-19.”

To help ensure support reaches as many organizations as possible, while having the most impact, Jumpstart has created a community sport relief panel comprised of industry experts, including:

• Benoît Huot, Paralympic Gold Medallist and Jumpstart Ambassador
• Beckie Scott, Olympic Gold Medallist and Founder and CEO, Spirit North
• Cheri Bradish, Founder, Future of Sport Lab (FSL) and Director, Sports Business Initiatives, Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University
• Norm O’Reilly, Director, International Institute for Sport Business and Leadership and Professor, University of Guelph
• Fabrice Vil, Founder, Pour 3 Points

“Since 2005, Jumpstart has made a profound impact in the lives of kids across Canada,” said Beckie Scott, Olympic Gold Medallist and Founder and CEO, Spirit North. “As we emerge from these challenging times, return to play will be more important than ever and Jumpstart’s Sport Relief Fund will provide options to organizations in-need.”

In addition to the $8 million Sport Relief Fund, Jumpstart will mark its 15^th anniversary by illuminating twenty iconic Canadian buildings and landmarks in red and white on September 12^th.  The cross Canada event will celebrate the Charity’s impact over the past 15 years, including the 2.3 million kids helped to-date.

To learn more about Jumpstart’s Sport Relief Fund, including how to apply, please visit jumpstart.canadiantire.ca.

About Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities

Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities is a national charity committed to ensuring kids in need have equal access to sport and recreation. With an extensive, national network of more than 1,000 grantees and 289 local chapters, Jumpstart helps eligible families cover the costs of registration, transportation, and equipment, and provides funding to selected organizations for recreational infrastructure and programming. Supported by the Canadian Tire Family of Companies, Jumpstart has provided more than two million opportunities for Canadian kids to get in the game since 2005. For more information, visit jumpstart.canadiantire.ca.

Follow Jumpstart on Twitter and Facebook to learn about how the charity is giving kids across Canada a sporting chance.

SOURCE Canadian Tire Jumpstart