By MorinvilleNews.com Staff
Morinville – A new program the Town of Morinville is connected with allows children from lower income families to participate in sports they might otherwise not be able to join in.
The KidSport Alberta program raises funds in communities to pay registration fees for children to participate in sports programs and also gathers used sports equipment for participants to use.
Town of Morinville Recreational and Cultural Coordinator Melonie Dziwenka said she discovered KidSport last year when she was putting together the Active Living Fair.
“I was trying to look for all the different organizations that can help with active living and this [KidSport] and Jump Start came up as potentials,” she said, adding a representative from KidSport set up a booth at the trade fair. “It’s allowing children to be active without having a financial barrier.”
The program gives Morinville’s lower income families another avenue to help make sure their kids are active and not left on the sidelines of youth sport.
“It basically gives our lower income families access to a different group that can help pay for some of the activities that didn’t fall under the PATH program that is currently offered,” Dziwenka said, noting PATH does not allow for the purchase of sports equipment. “By families accessing this money, it allows our program to be used for other things, too. So it’s kind of spreading the dollars around more.”
Dziwenka explained the program is open to children 18 and under and that families can apply by picking up a form at the town offices or by applying online at www.kidsport.ab.ca.
