The Ottawa Sport Council Foundation is thrilled to announce its first Charitable Endowment Fund recipient – the Gloucester Dragons Recreational Soccer Club. The Dragons were awarded $1500 by the True Sport Foundation to support development of their Partners in Play program. The award will help create a new weekly program, in collaboration with Special Olympics Ontario, to teach children ages 7-12 with intellectual disabilities to play soccer.
The Ottawa Sport Council Foundation’s ‘Charitable Endowment Fund’ was established in partnership with the Community Foundation of Ottawa and the True Sport Foundation. The Ottawa Sport Council is passionate about sport and this endowment fund aims to enhance sport excellence in the City of Ottawa.
Marcia Morris, Executive Director of the Ottawa Sport Council, said, “Sport has the potential to enrich the lives of everyone, and we believe that no one should be excluded. The Gloucester Dragons’ soccer program for children with intellectual disabilities is inspiring and we are very excited to support it as our first fund recipient.”
The Charitable Endowment Fund supports Ottawa community sporting organizations through grants. Grants are available on a yearly basis and adopt key focus areas each year. In this first year, the focus was to assist community sport organizations in establishing new programs for underserviced populations and to increase opportunities for participation in sport activities embracing True Sport principles (Go For It, Play Fair, Respect Others, Keep it Fun, Stay Healthy, Include Everyone, Give Back) in Ottawa.
“We are very pleased that through our partnership with the Ottawa Sport Council Foundation we are able to support the work of the Gloucester Dragons Soccer Club and their commitment to the True Sport principles.” says Karri Dawson, Executive Director at the True Sport Foundation. “We all share an understanding of the value and power of community sport and together we look forward to providing a quality sport experience for local children with intellectual disabilities.”
The Gloucester Dragons will kick off the Partners in Play program with up to 40 participants and are eager to get started. “We are excited to be partnering with Special Olympics Ontario and the Ottawa Sport Council Foundation for this new program, through which we hope to bring the joy of soccer to children with intellectual disabilities,” said David Lowe, chairman of the Dragons.
Ottawa Sport Commissioner Jody Mitic commented, “It is wonderful to see how local grants like the Ottawa Sport Foundation Charitable Endowment Fund are really making a difference in our communities. Programs that support inclusiveness are so important. The Gloucester Dragons have proposed a wonderful initiative and this funding award is well deserved. ”
2017 grant opportunities will be announced at the 3rd annual Ottawa Sport Summit on November 26, 2016 at Lansdowne Park. Incorporated not-for-profit organizations that offer sport programs in Ottawa and have operated for at least one year in Ontario are eligible for the grants.