ONPARA Receives Jumpstart Sport Relief Fund Grant
In September, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities 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. The Ontario Para Network has experienced the impact of the pandemic first-hand.
We recently received confirmation that we are amongst 668 sport and recreation organizations nationally to be provided with grant support through Jumpstart’s Sport Relief Fund. We are beyond grateful to receive this news and know how positive an impact it will have on sport and recreation organizations, and ultimately, on kids across the country.
With Jumpstart’s support, we’ll be able to refocus and reimagine current programming by creating digital content and shifting to a virtual format to deliver our flagship outreach & education and awareness & first involvement initiatives – ‘Bridging the Gap’ and our wheelchair basketball Schools Program – during these trying times.
Along with Jumpstart, we understand the role sport plays in the health and well-being of kids and their families, especially for those with disabilities, and are doing everything possible to help sports continue at the community level.
About the Ontario Para Network
Formerly known as the Ontario Wheelchair Sports Association, our mission at the Ontario Para Network (ONPARA) is to grow adaptive sport opportunities across Ontario. As the governing body for wheelchair sports in the province, we strive to offer opportunities for individuals with disabilities to participate in wheelchair athletics, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis at recreational, competitive and high performance levels.