Spin S2DIO Owner Dez Hesson and local KidSport Committee member Dwight Bergstrom are teaming up for a good cause. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Community events

Spinning for the kids

Sep 13, 2022 | 1:35 PM

A major fundraising drive has officially been launched for an event next month that will benefit youth in the Prince Albert area.

The KidSport event on Oct. 1 will take place at Spin S2DIO and teams of four are invited to participate.

Local KidSport commitee member Dwight Bergstrom explained 25 per cent of youth in the province live in poverty, and the number is even higher in Prince Albert at 35 per cent.

“Kids that grow up and live in poverty are at a much higher risk of being at at risk kids and I know in Prince Albert we have a lot of talk about law and order, how do we have a good healthy group of positive kids?” he said.

Acknowledging the work done by other groups such as JumpStart, Bergstrom explained these kids are just not going to get a chance to be involved in sports which impacts both their physical and mental health.

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“There’s an old saying that it taks a village to raise a child. I can’t emphasize that enough in supporting KidSport,” he said.

Bergstrom explained before COVID, KidSport Prince Albert was supporting up to 300 kids, at an average cost of $250. Half the cost, roughly $34,000, gets covered by Sask. Sport, leaving the rest to be raised by the local committee.

“There are times when we have applications come in and we have no money left and we just have to say [to] those parents and those kids, we’re sorry we are out of cash,” he said, adding he was also well aware that as the cost of living goes up, his organization may see a further increase in numbers.

“You’ve got a minimum wage job or something a bit better and a couple kids, I don’t know how you can do it,” he said.

On the day of the event, Spin S2DIO Owner Dez Hesson aims to fill all 26 bikes, for each of the four class times.

“I just think it is so important to get kids moving because healthy, confident kids become healthy confident adults and that’s what we need to get stronger at in our community,” she said.

Anyone wishing to enter a team, can do so at the Spin S2DIO. The registration fee is $400 which can be raised individually by team members or by sponsorship from a local business.

For those who want to make a donation, without breaking a sweat, can do so at www.kidsportdonation.ca.

Once $8,000 has been raised, either Bergstrom or Hesson will sleep overnight on a scissor lift.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell