There is no doubt that sports — when played or watched — provide an entertaining distraction to the everyday stresses of life, and sporting events can rally fans from all walks of life to share their passion for their favourite team or athlete. But did you know that sports can positively impact their communities in ways that go far beyond wins and losses?
Take the Ottawa Senators for instance: Never mind that they failed to reach the playoffs this year — the Sens contribute up to $100 million annually to Ottawa-Gatineau region, according to a 2014 study at the University of Ottawa. The Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is no different. Over the course of four days, the city of Ottawa will be buzzing with not only thousands of people from all over the world in town to compete in Canada’s biggest marathon weekend but hundreds of volunteers, spectators, and representatives from major corporations and local businesses taking part in an exciting event that includes the Health and Fitness Expo, the Sparks Street street party, and not to mention, world-class marathon racing. But most importantly, Ottawa Race Weekend is one of the city’s biggest fundraising events.
The benefits of sporting events like Ottawa Race Weekend and city sports teams like the Ottawa Senators are seen in many ways:
Tourism:. World-class events such as the NHL All-Star Game and the 2013 women world hockey championship generated on average $9.5 million annually. Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend attracts more than 35,000 participants in their six races and over 2,000 volunteers, not to mention families of runners, training staff and spectators.
Philanthropic efforts: Scotiabank, the sponsor of the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, invites participants in Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend to consider adding a charitable component to their race. Last year, participants raised over $775,000 for 68 charities as part of the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. In addition, the Ottawa Senators Foundation 50/50 raffles donate half the money raised each game to various initiatives in Ottawa-Gatineau. Ottawa Red-Blacks players get involved in the community by offering motivational speeches at elementary schools, and together with the 67’s and the Fury FC operate a special lunch program at secondary schools throughout the area.
Increased Volunteerism: Volunteers are the backbone to Ottawa Race Weekend. Every year, more than 2,000 people come together to help make one of the city’s most important sporting events happen. In turn, volunteers have the opportunity to take part in the excitement, give back to their community and raise money for charity. Students also benefit from volunteering – they are able to accumulate hours for high school graduation and also gain valuable experience.
Partnerships with local businesses: Working with small businesses and local franchises along with major corporations is a win-win for everyone. The Ottawa Fury FC, together with nine Ottawa businesses, some national corporations, schools and local groups have developed a program to provide game tickets to students and community group members throughout the region.
Physical and social wellbeing: For the average person — including children— sports and physical activity offer a number of valuable life skills and benefits that are often hard to develop at a desk like teamwork, fair play, leadership and communication skills, not to mention improved health, physical stamina and a slimmer waistline!