CELEBRATE KIDSPORT™ WEEK MAY 6TH TO 13TH

The province is declaring May 6th to 13th as KidSport™ Week to focus awareness and support for children to participate in sports.

KidSport™ is a children's charity that works through its 41 local volunteer committees that direct funding to children who cannot participate in community sport programs because of financial restrictions.

"Many kids dream of hitting a home run, playing goalie or shooting hoops but do not have the opportunity to be involved in sports," Culture, Youth and Recreation Minister Glenn Hagel said. "With the help of sponsors, volunteers and KidSport™, more and more young people are getting that chance so that no one is left behind on the path to opportunity."

"The donations raised through KidSport™ provide the necessary funding for registration fee subsidies and in some cases, equipment, so that all kids can play," KidSport™ Saskatchewan Chair Don McDougall said. "KidSport™ believes that in addition to developing athletic skills from sport, young people learn responsibility, teamwork, self-confidence and positive, healthy, lifestyle choices."

McDougall added that KidSport™ is pleased to announce this year that Great West Life, London Life and Canada Life have renewed their KidSport™ Week sponsorship and committed to become the major sponsor of the Corporate Challenge fundraising event. This corporate support is invaluable to KidSport™ as it tries to meet the demand of kids in need.

During the week, KidSport™ Saskatchewan holds two province-wide fundraisers called Kompanies for Kids and the Great Saskatchewan Hot Dog Sale. Additionally, the tenth annual KidSport™ Fun and Fitness Corporate Challenge will take place May 6th at the new Centre for Kinesiology, Health and Sport at the University of Regina. This event will see corporate teams from Regina and area compete in a fitness and athletic skills competition to raise funds for KidSport™. Since its inception, this event has raised over $275,000 to support KidSport™ kids in Saskatchewan.

Sask Sport Inc. is the founding sponsor of KidSport™ and provides on-going administrative support for the charity.

KidSport™ Saskatchewan is governed by a volunteer provincial committee that is responsible for the overall policy and operations of the program in the province. Forty-one local volunteer KidSport™ committees across the province administer the program, develop fundraising initiatives, and adjudicate all funding requests. All money raised in a community stays in that community. In 2005, KidSport™ Saskatchewan granted over $347,000 to support 7,623 kids play their favourite sport.

For more information, go online to www.sasksport.sk.ca/kidsport/week.html.

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For More Information, Contact:

Janet Peters Culture, Youth and Recreation Regina Phone: (306) 787-4967

Pat Rediger KidSport™ Saskatchewan Regina Phone: (306) 780-9307