Two special weekends in February 2023 will have a lasting impact on local sports organizations for years to come.
County of Renfrew staff were recently joined by Melissa Bishop-Nriagu, Ambassador for the 2023 Ontario Winter Games, to announce the creation of the Games Legacy Fund.
The $375,000 funding pool will provide annual grants in three categories:
- Youth Sport Grant (up to age 21): $20,000 annually (grants up to $1,000 per request for equipment costs, travel costs, registration, etc.);
- Sports Clubs: $20,000 annually (four grants per year of $5,000) for teams, clubs, and organizations with a specific need;
- Major Sports Infrastructure: $40,000 annually (two grants per year up to $20,000) for new builds or infrastructure improvements in existing sports facilities that will improve accessibility, ensure more people can participate, improve the quality of the facility, or provide a new option for sport.
Bishop-Nriagu, a Renfrew County native and Olympic runner, says that “as a young athlete, this is something I would have applied for while growing up and trying to make my Olympic dreams come true; this is something that will absolutely be used in our community.”
She would go on to say that she is “so proud of our community for hosting and pulling off something so big. This is just the start of what our communities can do. You have put Renfrew County on the map with the Ontario Winter Games, and I am so proud to have been a part of it.”
County Warden and Games Organizing Committee Chair Peter Emon adds that it was their goal to “show off our communities and reinvigorate our communities,” something he believes they accomplished.
The county has entrusted the Games Legacy Fund to the Ottawa Valley Community Foundation. Board Chair Matt Bradley says the OVCF “will ensure those monies are properly invested and distributed in accordance with the vision of the Games Organizing Committee.”
(written by Kasey Egan)