Originally published in the Jumpstart 2022 Annual Report

Message From Our Leadership

After years of closures and restrictions, Canadian kids and sport organizations were eager to return to a sense of normalcy in 2022. To honour our founder, Martha Billes’ vision that all kids in Canada have a chance to fulfil their dreams, we knew we had an important role to play. So, last year, Jumpstart committed to guiding the recovery of community sport and recreation in Canada and creating a more equitable and safe game for all kids.

Against the backdrop of rising registration costs and lost capacity at community sport organizations, we recognized this was an ambitious goal. But we are proud of the progress we made – progress that resulted in a record-breaking 440,000 Canadian kids in need participating in sport and play – the most in any single year to date.

As a charity, we were intentional about reaching and uplifting the kids in Canada who needed it most. This included continuing to remove accessibility barriers to play by opening nine additional inclusive play spaces in communities across the country. By the end of 2022, kids and families of all abilities could access a Jumpstart Inclusive Playground in every province in Canada.

In 2022, we also doubled down on our work to advance gender equity in sport. Beyond securing new national partnerships, Jumpstart also launched an inaugural leadership program for girls in sport: Play to Lead. With the Program’s launch, we are helping keep girls enrolled and engaged in sport, while fostering a powerful network of female athletes.

And that’s not all. By the end of the year, Jumpstart celebrated helping a total of 3 million kids since the charity’s inception in 2005. To all our employees, customers, partners, and friends who have generously supported Jumpstart’s work over the years, we say thank you. Like any success in sport, this milestone was truly a team effort.

Although we have made great progress, our work is not done yet. As we look towards helping the next 3 million kids, Jumpstart will not only continue to rebuild community sport to pre-pandemic levels but will shepherd a national sport system even better than it was before – one firmly grounded in equity, safety, and inclusivity so that all kids can achieve their full potential.

Founded in 2005, Jumpstart helps kids overcome financial and accessibility barriers to sport and recreation in an effort to provide inclusive play for kids of all abilities. To learn more, read the Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities 2022 Annual Report here.

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