2019 Para Sport Jumpstart Fund distributes $800,000 to grassroots programs across Canada

40 community organizations being supported by grants
A young participant with the Association québécoise de sports pour paralytiques cérébraux throws a boccia ball.

OTTAWA/TORONTO – Several community organizations across the country are receiving support to buoy their Para sport programming, as the Canadian Paralympic Committee and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities announced today the recipients of the 2019 Para Sport Jumpstart Fund. 

A total of $800,000 is being distributed across 40 organizations in Canada this year. The Para Sport Jumpstart Fund aims to remove barriers to sport and recreation for children and youth with disabilities, offering grants to community and sport organizations that provide accessible opportunities for play. Funding can go towards various elements of enhancing their Para sport offerings, such as equipment, staffing, recruitment, and additional programming. 

CLICK HERE for the complete list of 2019 Para Sport Jumpstart Fund recipients. 

“Thank you to Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities for your valued support towards providing more opportunities for children with a disability to be active,” said Karen O’Neill, CEO, Canadian Paralympic Committee. “Sport can have such a positive influence on the development of children in so many ways, and that is only possible if they have access to safe and affordable ways to play. We applaud the great work of the grant recipients, who are making a huge difference in the lives of kids and who are an important part of the Para sport system in our country at the grassroots level.” 

A partnership between the Canadian Paralympic Committee and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, the Para Sport Jumpstart Fund was created in 2013 and has since distributed over $2.5 million in funding. Over 7,000 children and 90 organizations have benefitted from the fund. 

“Jumpstart believes kids of all abilities should experience the joy, and countless benefits of participating in sport and recreation,” said Scott Fraser, President, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities. “We are proud to continue providing opportunities for kids across Canada to get involved in Para sport thanks to our partnership with the Canadian Paralympic Committee.”