Pathway to Participation Backpack Project

Pathway to Participation Backpack Project

(Lethbridge, Alberta) - The Lethbridge Sport Council is pleased to announce the Pathway to Participation for Indigenous Families project is providing over 150 sport backpacks to children and youth in our community. Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and we believe all children should have access to sport. These sport backpacks will provide Indigenous children and youth with new opportunities to participate in a variety of sports and active recreation activities.

The sport backpack project was made possible through the support of many partners, including grant funding from the Government of Alberta, sport equipment from Calgary Flames Sports Bank, family swim passes from Recreation Excellence Lethbridge, skate passes from the City of Lethbridge, and backpacks from the Lethbridge 2020 Alberta Summer Games Society.

Carleen Meyer, Student Support Worker at Senator Buchanan Elementary School, said, “Our school works very hard to assist families and students in any way we can, to help them be successful. We serve a diverse community, and some struggle to provide the basics. Many of the families that will be benefiting from the backpacks do not have the means to enroll their children in organized sports outside of school. The gift of sports equipment will help them practice skills, build a sense of community, as well as giving them something social and productive to do in their downtime. A high number of our Indigenous students live in an urban complex with many other families. I am sure the equipment will be well utilized when the kids all gather in the courtyard.”

“We are grateful to offer these backpacks to so many and are excited about the positive impact they will have. A huge thank you to our partners for helping to make this project possible, and we look forward to seeing the smiles on the faces of these children as they receive their backpack,” said Lethbridge Sport Council Program and Event Coordinator, Shawn Daye-Finley.

Media Contacts:

Tanya Whipple
Communication Manager,
Lethbridge Sport Council
[email protected]
403-330-5597

Shawn Daye-Finley
Program & Event Coordinator,
Lethbridge Sport Council
[email protected]
403-320- 9371