Recently, Canada's lone professional baseball team handed out $885,000 in funding to support summer camps in 58 BGC Clubs (formerly Boys and Girls Clubs) across Canada.  

One of the clubs that benefitted from the funding was BGC Airdrie.

The Jays Care Foundation gave the funding to support Rookie League programs at BGC Clubs to safely let kids between four and 15 years of age return to in-person summer camps.  The money is expected to let as many as 12,000 kids participate in camps.

Ally Friesen, Manager for Children's Programs at BGC Airdrie calls the funding "absolutely wonderful."

"This is actually the second year that we've gotten funding from them," she explained.  "Last year we had more online stuff because of COVID but this year we've actually been able to implement it more into our programs."

Friesen said the $5,000 they received from the Jays Care Foundation has been used for food, PPE, camp materials such as hockey nets and other sports equipment, and staffing. She is exuberant in saying the kids have been loving it.

"A lot of it is sports-centered so they've had a lot of physical activity, which is just beautiful. We're finally getting back to that normalcy so it's really great to have this funding from them."

Friesen is ecstatic about the return to in-person camps this year, saying much of the funding will be used during the summer while other parts of it will go to the equipment which can be used year-round.

"We've got about 70 kiddos that we have been looking after this summer, which is great!  So it has gone to anything and everything that we have agreed to with them (Jays Care), to our clients, which has been really nice."

Friesen explained that most weeks of camps for the summer are full and they've seen many of their "repeat customers" during this time. 

"The kids have been loving being able to get back to just being able to talk to their friends, and making new friendships.  It's been great to see."

Robert Witchel, Executive Director of the Jays Care Foundation is pleased to be able to make this program possible to BGC. 

"We are thrilled to be able to continue a legacy of supporting summer programming for Canadian children and youth at BGC Clubs."

About 14 other Alberta BGC Clubs were among the 58 across Canada to receive funding.   

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