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By Teena Monteleone

KidSport

Fundraising campaign underway so ‘all kids can play’

May 9, 2024 | 7:00 AM

A Prince Albert charity that helps local kids get off the sidelines and into sports expects to see an increased demand for help this year.

KidSports is an organization that provides grants up to $500 to cover costs of registration fees so all kids aged 18 and under can play a season of sport.

On average, the Prince Albert branch assists 150 to 200 kids each year, but with the rising cost of living in a city that already has more kids living below the poverty level than any other city in Saskatchewan, the need to help even more youth has never been greater according to KidSport committee member Dwight Bergstrom.

“For kids living below the poverty line, some of the disadvantages can lead them to ending up in an at-risk lifestyle simply because of the financial roadblocks they face. If they get involved with positive activities like sports, that’s when they’re healthier physically and mentally and less inclined to get on the wrong track,” he said.

The month of May is ‘KidSport Month in Saskatchewan.’ The theme is ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ That’s why Bergstrom is encouraging community groups and businesses to help bring awareness of KidSport by running their own fundraisers or encouraging people to donate online throughout the month.

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About six years ago, the local committee found a unique way to promote the KidSport fundraiser. A construction company donates a scissor lift, which can rise up to 30 feet in the air. If $10,000 or more is raised by May 30 at 5 p.m., Bergstrom will spend the night atop the lift.

“I’ve spent more nights on the scissor lift than I’d like to,” he said with a laugh. “When I was a kid, they used to do pole sitting as fundraisers, so that’s where we got the idea. At 71, I’m too old to just sit on a pole, so this lift is a little more comfortable.”

Dwight Bergstrom on the scissor lift as part of the KidSport fundraiser in 2020. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

Anyone interested in hosting a fundraiser is asked to contact Bergstrom in advance. He hopes people consider the fact that nationally, costs keep about one in three Canadian kids out of organized sport.

“But if they’re in sports, kids develop all kinds of life skills they don’t necessarily learn in school. And you know, if we want to have kids growing up in our community to be healthy and supportive citizens, this is a good place to start.”

Any donation of $20 or more will qualify for a tax receipt and donors will be entered in a draw to win a bike from Fresh Air Experience.

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teena.monteleone@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertNOW