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Waterford Skating Club receives $10,000 grant

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The Waterford Tricenturena Skating Club is one of more than 650 organizations across Canada receiving a grant from the Jumpstart Sport Relief Fund.

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“As you may be aware, many community organizations have shut their doors due to the financial burden created by COVID-19, including lost revenue and increased program costs,” said Jennifer Bard, president of the club. “The Waterford Tricenturena Skating Club has experienced the impact of the pandemic first-hand.”

Bard applied for the grant by filling out the application online. In early October, they heard they would be one of the recipients.

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“I was on their website and saw the Sport Relief Fund, specifically to get groups through this year with COVID,” she said. “We were very, very excited when we found out [we got it].”

The $10,000 grant is going towards covering the increased ice rental costs and establishing a skater assistance fund at the club. There will be an application process for families that would like to use the assistance fund for their children.

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“We just want to make sure kids get out on the ice and skate,” said Bard.

Due to the pandemic, the cost of ice rental has increased and groups aren’t able to have as many people on the ice as before, which leads to program costs increasing as well.

The youngest skaters that still need physical support to skate on the ice are now able to continue to skate with the Me&My Parent Program. As part of the COVID-19 protocols, the instructors are unable to help the young students, but with parents also on the ice, they are able to help their kids learn to skate.

The club is also now offering a power skating course to help hockey players refine their skating skills.

The skating club would like to extend their thanks to Jumpstart for choosing them as one of the recipients.

“I really want people to know that Jumpstart is really trying to help and support kids getting into all kinds of sports, not just figure skating, but all sports in the community,” said Bard. “When people here in Norfolk are out and about in businesses and they see the logo for Jumpstart, those dollars that they might be putting into Jumpstart are helping out local organizations here in Norfolk.”

The club has used Jumpstart in the past to help individual skaters fund their lessons through their program that allows kids to access sports.

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