Kidsport Camrose worked for quite some time to acquire valuable, lightly used sport equipment from Sport Central in Edmonton. A donation from the Camrose Swans & Roses Lions Club kickstarted funding a $2,500 donation to Sport Central for thousands of dollars worth of equipment.
 
A call for space to house the equipment and provide a venue to distribute that equipment to those in need was answered by Dianne Kohler at the Camrose Regional Exhibition (CRE) who offered space in their administration building. Rick Picher, Clarence Hastings and other members of the Men’s Shed stepped up as volunteers to organize and operate the distribution center, dubbed 4 R Kids (reflects the mission of Retrieve, Repair, Recycle, Redistribute) in conjunction with Kidsport Camrose.
 
Donations of shelving from the Real Canadian Superstore and Canadian Tire have been assembled and sport equipment is arriving for a planned August opening. City and county children and youth in need of equipment will be referred by community partners, including Kidsport Camrose, to receive equipment, at no cost. Kidsport Camrose also provides funding for registration in sports to further reduce barriers to participation.
 
Kristy Smith of Kidsport Camrose remarked ‘This has become an awesome partnership. Men’s Shed, CRE, Lions Club and many local businesses have made this possible’.
 
To learn more about 4 R Kids, registration funding and other activities of Kidsport Camrose email Camrose@Kidsport.ab.ca.