ParaTough Cup fundraiser returns to Vancouver in support of Paralympic sport

OTTAWA – ParaTough Cup fuelled by Petro-Canada™ is heading to Vancouver this month, as fundraisers will be testing out their Para sport abilities while meeting Paralympians and raising money for athletes with a disability on November 22 at the Richmond Olympic Oval.  

Registered teams will be facing off to become ParaTough Cup champion by competing in various Paralympic sport-inspired challenges, such as wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, and Para ice hockey. Teams earn points not only for their performance in the sports but also for the amount of money they fundraise, which must be a minimum of $5,000. New for this year, title sponsor Petro-Canada will be matching fundraising dollars up to $10,000 and giving participants the chance to win free gas for a year. 

Paralympian Shacarra Orr, who competed in sitting volleyball at the Rio 2016 Games, will act as emcee of the afternoon while a number of other athletes will join her to support the participants onsite, including wheelchair basketball legend Richard Peter (a three-time Paralympic champion), Lima 2019 shot put silver medallist Greg Stewart, Lima 2019 gold medallist in wheelchair basketball Tara Llanes, and PyeongChang 2018 Para nordic skier Ethan Hess. 

“I’m really looking forward to joining ParaTough Cup in Vancouver and speaking to all of the wonderful participants who are raising money for athletes with a disability,” said Orr. “This is an amazing opportunity for people to really experience Para sport for themselves and discover what it takes to succeed. I think it’ll be such a fun afternoon for everyone, and at the end of the day bring in much needed support for the growth of Para sport in Canada.” 

ParaTough Cup, organized by the Paralympic Foundation of Canada, made its debut in 2017 and is now annually held in multiple cities across Canada. Events will be heading to Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto throughout the next few months. ParaTough Cup was first hosted in Vancouver last year and raised $55,000. 

“ParaTough Cup is our flagship event, and it really helps drive our goal of providing more Canadians with a disability the opportunity to participate in sport and take it to the next level,” said Dean Brokop, director, Paralympic Foundation of Canada. “We were welcomed warmly in Vancouver last year and are really looking forward to returning again with a bigger and better event and showing more people how we can make a difference in the lives of so many Canadians with a disability.”  

The Paralympic Foundation of Canada is the philanthropic arm of the Canadian Paralympic Committee and believes that every Canadian should be able to imagine themselves at the start line, regardless of ability. The Foundation raises funds to provide more Canadians with a disability the opportunity to be active in their communities and strive for success on the world stage. 

For more information about ParaTough Cup fuelled by Petro-Canada™, please visit Paralympic.ca/foundation/paratough-cup.