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New program helps kids and youth to be active

Columbia Basin Trust launches $3-million Basin PLAYS initiative
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The Trust is supporting community sport groups and schools to get kids active. Attend an upcoming meeting to learn more.

For the Bulletin

Healthy lifestyles for children and youth lead to healthy lifestyles for life. To help make this happen, Columbia Basin Trust is launching a new $3-million, multi-year Basin Physical Literacy and Youth Sport (PLAYS) initiative—and is hosting a series of community meetings in October to share more information about it.

“Our aim is to help young people develop the motivation, physical competence and confidence to participate in healthy active living throughout their lives,” said Johnny Strilaeff, Columbia Basin Trust President and Chief Executive Officer. “The well-being of this region starts at the individual level, and Basin PLAYS will contribute to this in numerous, interconnected ways.”

Basin PLAYS will work with community sports groups, schools, volunteer coaches and others to provide the resources and support they need to help kids be more active. The initiative will offer training and capital improvement grants, an online resource hub, build relationships with community sports organizations, and collaborate with school districts to support physical literacy and sports in schools.

Learn more about the opportunities available through this initiative at ourtrust.org/plays or attend one of upcoming community meetings.

Golden: Oct. 17 6-7 p.m. at the Golden Civic Centre. Invermere: Oct. 18 from 7-8 p.m. at the Columbia Valley Centre. Cranbrook: Oct. 22 from 5-6 p.m. at the Manual Training Centre. Sparwood: Oct. 23 from 7-8p.m. at the Sparwood Curling Rink.

The Trust is committed to enabling healthy lifestyles in the Basin. For example, its Recreation Infrastructure Grants program invested $9.4 million in 153 projects that involved constructing new or upgrading existing recreation infrastructure. Learn about all the ways the Trust is addressing this strategic priority at ourtrust.org/recreation.

Columbia Basin Trust supports the ideas and efforts of the people in the Columbia Basin. To learn more about the Trust’s programs and initiatives, and how it helps deliver social, economic and environmental benefits to the Basin, visit ourtrust.org or call 1.800.505.8998.



Corey Bullock

About the Author: Corey Bullock

Corey Bullock is a multimedia journalist and writer who grew up in Burlington, Ontario.
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