Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities (Jumpstart), a national charity committed to ensuring kids in need have equal access to sport and recreation, is celebrating an impressive milestone of helping 3 million kids across Canada since 2005.1
“We are incredibly proud to have made an impact on the lives of three million kids, allowing each of them to develop new skills and friendships through sport and play,” said Marco Di Buono, President, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities. “Thank you to our generous donor community who stepped up at a time when kids needed them most. This accomplishment would not have been attainable without support from our countless champions, including our customers, Dealers, partners, and employees across Canadian Tire’s group of companies.”
Backed by a national network of supporters, Jumpstart has helped a record-breaking 400,000 kids in 2022 alone – the most in any single year to date – a critical step toward rebuilding community sport in Canada following the effects of the pandemic. Jumpstart is committed to guiding the recovery of organized sport and play to build back capacity across the country to pre-COVID levels while ensuring a more inclusive and equitable game for all kids.
“During the pandemic, all Canadians got a glimpse of life without access to sport and play and felt the toll on our well-being as well as that of our families and communities,” said Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser, Jumpstart Ambassador. “The importance of Jumpstart’s mission has never been more apparent, and Jumpstart’s profound impact on the fabric of community sport to date will be felt for a lifetime.”
Operating through 289 local Chapters in communities coast to coast, Jumpstart creates opportunities for kids to participate in sport and recreation through a variety of individual and community-level grants and strategic partnerships. Since 2005, Jumpstart has:
- Disbursed over $225 million to get Canadian kids in need off the sidelines and into the game, including a $20 million Sport Relief Fund to help community sport organizations stay afloat during the pandemic
- Worked in partnership with municipalities and Canadian Tire Dealers to construct 24 inclusive play spaces, including a Jumpstart Inclusive Playground in every province across the country, allowing kids of all abilities to participate in sport and play
- Helped keep more girls enrolled in sport through key partnerships with Canadian Women in Sport and She’s4Sports, and the development of Play to Lead, a leadership program for young women in sport
- Provided training to over 4,300 coaches and youth activity leaders across Canada on how to create inclusive and safe sporting environments for female athletes and kids of all abilities
“For more than 17 years, we have been steadfast in our mission to enrich the lives of children through sport and physical activity,” said Nadir Patel, Chairman, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities. “Looking ahead, Jumpstart will continue to play an integral role in strengthening sport in Canada, breaking down barriers so that all kids – regardless of gender, race, ability or financial circumstance – have equal opportunity to get into the game.”