Cheer Story: $6,164 Raised for KidSport in Moosomin

Borderland Co-op's Fuel Good Day raised more than $6,164 this year. The event featured a lunch time drive-through barbecue and a 50/50 draw at the Moosomin, Rocanville, and Whitewood C-Stores. Proceeds, including 10 cents a litre of all fuel sales all day, went to KidSport, which helps kids whose families can’t afford it, participate in sports by helping with registration and equipment costs.

Beth Oslund, who serves as president of KidSport Pipestone Qu’Appelle was happy to be a part of this year’s Fuel Good Day. “My mom used to do it for the last 20 years, she passed away last year, so I took it over and continued on what she did,” said Oslund. As a mother herself, she feels that this is an important cause. “I have kids myself and as a single mother it is a challenge sometimes if kids want to do things and KidSport makes things easier,” said Oslund. The reason that Oslund keeps doing it is seeing how KidSport has helped children over the years.

“We have had some kids who have succeeded and gone on. We had one who now plays in the NHL actually that we supported years ago, and it’s great just to see those kids happy that they get the chance to get out and do something that they may not otherwise be able to,” said Oslund.

Oslund’s father, Wayne Shepherd, was also on hand to help out on the day. “There are a lot of kids that want to get involved in sport and this is one way to help them,” said Shepherd. Both daughter and father were glad to have the Co-op support KidSport with their Fuel Good Day. “They work every year with a different organization and KidSport was this year,” said Shepherd.

Even in the time of Covid-19, KidSport helped families in Moosomin. “We paid for five families over at the Moosomin pool here this summer. That was 10 kids all together that we bought a family pass for, so they can take classes,” said Oslund.

KidSport began as a program of Sport BC in 1993. The goal was to help families overcome the prohibitive cost of sport. Since then they have expanded across Canada and have helped nearly 1 million children experience the joy of organized sport.

In the last five years alone, KidSport has raised over $40 million nation wide and has helped over 188,000 Canadian children participate in a season of sport. Last year in Saskatchewan, KidSport granted $1.61 million and helped 13,858 children across the province.

Tera Harper of Borderland Co-op was glad to join up with KidSport on their third annual Fuel Good Day. “We do a Fuel Good Day every year, and every time an organization applies, or it is chosen, by the Co-op. This year we decided to do KidSport because of Covid-19, people losing their jobs and being in dire financial states. We thought KidSport would be an amazing organization to support this year, because the kids are going back to recreation soon. People can apply and get funding for their children,” said Harper.

The drive-through barbecue was an invention of necessity. “We had to be creative, because of Covid-19, so hopefully it works out okay because it is the first one we’ve ever done,” said Harper.

Article Courtesy: Yorkton This Week, Victor van der Merwe