Joint Physical Literacy Grant Announced

PISE Celebrates 5 Year Anniversary — Joint Physical Literacy Grant Announced

Victoria, BC – November 30, 2013 –  PISE (Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence) held its 5 Year Anniversary today with an Open House and the announcement that in keeping with its on-going growth, a 400-metre track with spectator seating and a covered outdoor training area is planned as the next major project. Fundraising for the $1 million track is beginning with $100,000 secured to date with the target that the project will be completed by 2015.

The Victoria Foundation, in partnership with the True Sport Foundation and Community Foundations of Canada, are also pleased today to announce a successful joint grant to provide $39,150 to support two important sports-oriented community programs in 2014.

• $22,000 to the Victoria Immigrant Refugee Centre Society (VIRCS) to deliver 20 train-the-trainer workshops to youth service organizations across Victoria using the Play it Fair! Curriculum developed by Equitas Canada.
• $17,150 to KidSport Victoria to deliver, in partnership with PISE, its KidSport-PISE After School Fun program to 80 at-risk primary school children in two after-school programs in Victoria – at Rogers Elementary School and Macaulay Elementary School.

Both programs build upon the idea of using sports and sport-related activities to help build physical wellbeing among children as a catalyst for overall personal wellbeing.

“The Victoria Foundation is pleased to be able to provide this matching grant as part of our ongoing commitment to the challenge of the Governor General of Canada, David Johnston to help build a smarter and more caring nation,” said Sandra Richardson, CEO of the Victoria Foundation. “This funding brings together new partners for the first time, who will build upon previous successes in supporting sports-related programs to children, such as PISE’s ABCs of Physical Literacy program, that leverage sports to help improve the health and wellbeing of our children – and our community.”

“We are very proud of how PISE has grown and evolved over the past 5 years” said Robert Bettauer, CEO, PISE. “Today represents an opportunity to celebrate and recognize the important role that PISE has developed as a leading advocate and deliverer of physical literacy through the outstanding support we have been receiving from the Victoria Foundation, and we are excited to be working with new partners like the True Sport Foundation to link with KidSport,

Equitas and VIRCS on this new initiative. The PISE Track Project is our next major step forward and is representative of our unique model of combining enhanced opportunities to enjoy and excel at sport and physical activity for athletes, students and the members of our community.  Ultimately this is all about helping develop healthier, more active communities.”

“Equitas is ecstatic about this joint funding from the Victoria Foundation and True Sport Foundation. It will really give us the opportunity to work closely with VIRCS, and develop new ties with Kids Sport, PISE, and more than 15 organizations across Victoria,” said Angie (Mapara) Osachoff, Regional Program Coordinator in BC, Equitas – International Centre for Human Rights Education. “Knowing that 500 children in Victoria will get to participate in Play it Fair! this year and learn about respect for diversity, while building their self-esteem and sense of belonging through active value-based play, is a fantastic new development for all of us.”

“The Victoria Foundation’s work is a perfect example of how sport can be used to strengthen our communities,” said Ian Bird, President of Community Foundations of Canada. “The Smart & Caring True Sport program brings together community foundations, sport organizations and people who are passionate about sport to have an even greater impact in communities across the country.”

“The Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society (VIRCS) is honoured to be receiving the collaborative funding from True Sport Foundation and Victoria Foundation.  Our national partnership with Equitas and the newly formed connections with Kids Sports and PISE we hope to better serve children and youth access community services on southern Vancouver Island,” said Danny Tes, Enable Program Children and Youth Coordinator, Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society. “VIRCS ‘Enable Program serves over 200 newcomer, immigrant or refugee, children and youth per year in the settlement process and integration into Greater Victoria  Area.  Our approach is to empower young newcomers through our services and activities to enhance their sense of identity, belonging and community in Canada. VIRCS and Equitas will be working together in utilizing and delivering the Play it Fair! to children and youth as well as agencies and organizations serving young people in Greater Victoria Region.

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For more information contact:

Robert Bettauer                                                  Robert Janus, Director of Communications
CEO, PISE                                                        Victoria Foundation
rbettauer@piseworld.com                                    rjanus@victoriafoundation.bc.ca
250-580-3201                                                     250-381-5532 / 250-886-6112

BACKGROUND

Since 2010, Community Foundations of Canada has been partnering with the True Sport Foundation in exploring how communities can leverage the power of sport to make a positive impact.  True Sport is a series of initiatives designed to give people, communities and organizations the means by which to leverage the many benefits of sport from a platform of shared values and principles. Matching Grants include a one-to-one match of grant funds by the True Sport Foundation to support the use of good sport to instil character in our children and strengthen our communities.

PISE (Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence) is an independent not-for-profit organization located on the Camosun College Interurban campus. PISE brings together excellence in community sport and active healthy living development, sport and exercise education, sport technology research, and world-class athlete performance services

The Victoria Foundation manages charitable gifts from donors whose generosity allows them to create permanent, income-earning funds. The proceeds from these funds are then distributed as grants for charitable or educational purposes. Established in 1936, the Victoria Foundation is Canada’s second oldest community foundation and fifth largest of nearly 200. To date it has invested more than $130 million in people, projects and non-profit organizations that strengthen communities in B.C. and across Canada.