Aurora gets funding to encourage physical activity
Yorkregion.com
Dec. 22, 2015
By Teresa Latchford
Aurora has just received funding to boost learn-to-play projects in the community.
The town is one of 199 organizations from across the country to receive a 2015 RBC Learn-to-Play Project grant. Partnering with Sport Aurora through the Activate Aurora Working Group, the funding will help with the three-year project with a goal to make the town Canada’s most active community by 2020.
“The grant will provide much needed funds to promote sports and physical activity amongst our youth,” Aurora Mayor Geoff Dawe said. “The funds will help us develop programs to engage and encourage youth to get moving and join sporting programs. It’s a great step to encourage healthy and active living in our community.”
Aurora will receive $21, 615 to use for its initiatives.
The working group has identified projects within the Activate Aurora initiative:
- The development of a communications plan to build awareness
- A play day to foster participation from school-aged children
- A quality daily physical activity program and the safe-walk-to-school project implemented to teach physical literacy and increase activity
- A healthy eating for kids program to build skills in nutrition
- Training programs in fundamental movement skills and physical literacy to teach coaches, parents and high school students the importance of physical activity and literacy in their own home, on playgrounds and at school
- A mini summit will be held to bring in expertise in the area of physical literacy to professionals in the field
RBC and the Public Health Agency of Canada, in partnership with ParticipACTION, have earmarked $2 million for project grants to help community-based organizations build and deliver quality sport and recreation programs.
For more information, email lierullo@aurora.ca or program.manager@sportaurora.ca
