Sport Participation Creates New Opportunities For Youth

One of the greatest challenges for Special Olympics BC is making sure youth in rural areas have access to Special Olympics sport programs. 2010 Legacies Now, through its BC Sport Participation Program, helped Special Olympics BC hire a regional field manager for the interior of the province to work with communities on creating new programs for youth.

"We've been able to recruit and train more volunteers, strengthen outlying programs, and introduce sport programs to communities which we've never before been able to reach," said Dan Howe, president and CEO of Special Olympics BC

Funded equally by the federal and provincial governments, the BC Sport Participation Program has led to over 80,000 new people participating in sport and recreation in communities across BC.

"It's really fun and really exciting," exclaimed Miranda Orth, a Special Olympics participant. "I enjoy playing new sports - they make me feel sporty and healthy."

The BC Sport Participation Program aims to increase sport participation in community and school-based sports, while also increasing participation by seniors and people with disabilities. The program helps provincial and multi-sport organizations extend their community reach and improve the quality of sport delivery. The program is funded by the Province of British Columbia and Sport Canada.