The flagship fundraising event of the Paralympic Foundation of Canada will be marking its fourth anniversary in the city of Toronto next month, as ParaTough Cup fuelled by Petro-Canada™ takes place March 5 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.
Featuring teams of six people competing in Paralympic-inspired challenges like wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, and Para ice hockey, ParaTough Cup gives participants the unique chance to test out their skills while raising funds to grow the sport opportunities available to people with a disability.
Participants will be supported by Paralympians and Para athletes. Among those set to be in Toronto are two-time Paralympian Erin Latimer (alpine skiing), Tokyo 2020 hopeful Andrea Nelson (Para canoe), Sochi 2014 bronze medallist in Para ice hockey Kevin Rempel, and Rio 2016 Paralympian Austin Smeenk (Para athletics). Olympic and Paralympic broadcaster Scott Russell of CBC Sports will be the emcee.
“ParaTough Cup is such an important event to increase the awareness of Para sport and everything it takes to become a Paralympian,” said Latimer, who earned seven Top 10 finishes at the Paralympic Games before retiring in 2018. “It’s a wonderful way to share the message of the Paralympic Movement and how people can support the athletes. I’m so excited to be part of it again, and I know it will be a great afternoon for everyone there.”
The event will be contested between a sell-out of 20 participating teams this year, with each team committing to raise at least $5,000. They will earn points towards winning the ParaTough Cup trophy for raising additional funds, as well as their sport performance. 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.
Last year, ParaTough Cup in Toronto raised $108,000 in support of Para sport development across the country. The largest city in Canada will be the final stop of the 2019-20 ParaTough Cup season, with visits to Montreal and Vancouver last fall bringing in over $171,000. The Calgary edition is set for February 20.
“Toronto was the first city to ever host ParaTough Cup, and we are thrilled to be marking year four with our biggest event yet,” said Dean Brokop, Director, Paralympic Foundation of Canada. “Thank you to all of our participants and supporters; the funds raised from ParaTough Cup go a long way to offering more opportunities for people with a disability to be involved in sport, and to provide Para athletes with the tools to reach the next level.”
Donations for ParaTough Cup are still being accepted HERE.
The Paralympic Foundation of Canada is the philanthropic arm of the Canadian Paralympic Committee and believes that every Canadian with a disability 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.
