The Peer Project | Youth Assisting Youth takes part in fifth annual RBC Sports Day in Canada
TORONTO, Nov. 27, 2014 /CNW/ - To mark this year's RBC Sports Day in Canada, a national celebration of sport, The Peer Project | Youth Assisting Youth is hosting an Olympic Wrestling "Try a Sport" event for girls and boys, ages 6 and up. The event is scheduled to take place from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on November 29 at the City Adult Learning Centre, 1 Danforth Avenue.
"We are so excited to partner with Team Impact Wrestling Club and WoodGreen Community Services as we teach some great Toronto kids all about Olympic Wrestling in celebration of RBC Sports Day in Canada," Sally Spencer, CEO, The Peer Project | Youth Assisting Youth.
The Peer Project is partnering up with the Team Impact Wrestling Club and WoodGreen Community Services to facilitate an "Introduction to Wrestling" for girls and boys. Youth will learn skills and techniques from certified wrestling instructors in a structured and positive environment. Team Impact is also excited about the introduction of their new BEAT the STREETS program, which is based upon the highly successful New York (btsny.org) and Philadelphia (btsphilly.org) programs.
The Peer Project is also participating in RBC Sports Day as a Playing for Keeps Hub. These Hubs work with residents across the city to organize games in their neighbourhoods that engage newcomers, youth, and long-time residents. There are 17 Hubs, four of which have received "Try a Sport" grants from Toronto Foundation to host games on November 29.
Playing for Keeps was piloted through the 2012 Ontario Summer Games and named a key legacy of the Games.
"Sport has the power to build community and get Canadians moving," said Elio Antunes, President and CEO of ParticipACTION, the national voice of physical activity and sport participation in Canada. "Fostering opportunities for sport at both local and national levels allows us to build a better and stronger society, while also becoming more physically active leading to healthier, more active lifestyles."
RBC Sports Day in Canada caps off a week of more than 1,800 local events and activities, such as community-wide festivals, try-it days, open houses, games, competitions, meet-and-greets, tournaments, fun runs, spectator events and pep rallies, and concludes with a special broadcast on CBC Television on November 29.
"Children need every opportunity to develop the confidence and skills they need to enable them to play and also recognizing there are lifelong lessons gained through sport," said Jane Broderick, Chief Brand and Communications Officer, RBC. "RBC Sports Day in Canada is part of our larger commitment to kids and youth through the RBC Believe in Kids Pledge, a five-year, $100 million promise to help one million kids with a wide range of programs."
"When sport is inclusive, fair and fun, Canadians and their respective communities are able to reap the benefits associated with a positive sport experience," said Karri Dawson, Director of True Sport Operations at the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport. "Good sport instills character in our kids, strengthens our communities and increases opportunities for personal excellence."
"It is wonderful to see the spirt of community-driven sport that RBC, ParticipACTION, and their partners have ignited across the country," said Rahul K. Bhardwaj, President & CEO, Toronto Foundation. "With the funding provided by the City of Toronto and Sport Alliance of Ontario for our "Try a Sport" grants, we will continue to support our P4K Hubs as they use play and games to create healthier, more active, and better connected communities through events such as RBC Sports Day."
About RBC Sports Day in Canada
RBC Sports Day in Canada, celebrated on Saturday, November 29, 2014, is a national celebration of the power of sport to build community and get Canadians moving. The official day caps off a week of more than 1,000 local events and includes a special broadcast on CBC Television.
RBC is the title sponsor of RBC Sports Day in Canada, which is presented by ParticipACTION, in partnership with CBC Television, ICI Radio-Canada Télé and True Sport, working in collaboration with national sporting organizations and their networks of coaches, athletes and sports enthusiasts across the country. RBC Sports Day in Canada is generously supported by Sport Canada and in BC through Healthy Families BC. For more information about RBC Sports Day in Canada, please visit: http://sportsday.cbc.ca
About The Organization
Since 1976 The Peer Project | Youth Assisting Youth has supported and empowered at-risk and newcomer children and youth across the Greater Toronto Area. We've helped more than 30,000 young people and their families; with a 98% success rate of keeping our kids healthy, engaged and out of the juvenile justice system. Peer Mentoring is the tool. Youth Engagement is our focus. Our years of experience have proven that the most successful form of engagement is "Youth Who Understand and Support Youth".
Image with caption: "Playing for Keeps logo (CNW Group/Playing for Keeps)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20141127_C4073_PHOTO_EN_8639.jpg
SOURCE: Playing for Keeps
For more information or to speak to a spokesperson, please contact: Ed Carlson, Director of Development, The Peer Project | Youth Assisting Youth, 416-932-1919 Ext. 222, [email protected]
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