KidSport Bonnyville accepts business donation, preparing for spring sports seasons

A new Bonnyville business has decided to make a donation to fuel youth sports in town and reduce barriers for athletes participating in extracurricular sports.

On Monday morning, Richardson’s Jewelry donated $1000 to KidSport Bonnyville, a group that is been alive for years in town and helps struggling parents with registration fees for local sports.

Store manager Rory Mang said they used a portion of diamond sales for the past month to come up with the donation.

“We just love our community. And we love our kids around here. We just wanted to see the kids back in sports and doing the things that they love, and we wanted to make a contribution to KidSport,” said Mang.

KidSport accepts applications and administers grants of up to $300 per child for the year, for kids who live in Bonnyville or in surrounding rural communities.

With the shutdowns over the past calendar year and delays in minor sports returning as normal, KidSport Bonnyville chair Brad Ollen says it’s been a quieter several months for the organization.

“It’s been really quiet as far as applications coming in. Over the past year, we did sponsor or fund 18 kids in 2020, which was down from the high 60s into the 80s over the last number of years,” said Ollen.

“But we’re still here, we know that sports are gonna get back out of here this spring. And there’s going to be lots of families that are going to need that extra support.”

Richardson’s Jewelry owner Matt Fisher hopes this donation can spur other businesses in town to support Kidsport.

“We also want to challenge other community businesses in Bonnyville. If you think of something that you want to help out with, KidSport is a great opportunity to get our kids playing sports, just for those people who just can’t afford to pay league fees or equipment. Let’s just help out the families to get those kids out,” said Fisher.

Families can visit the KidSport Bonnyville website for more information on how to register.

“We just want everybody to know that we’re here. And please apply. We’re accepting donations from great organizations like Richardson’s Jewelry and we have some funds there to support local families. So we want to make sure that no kids get left on the sidelines, and all kids have the chance to play.”