THUNDER BAY – Joshua Swearengen says without PRO Kids, he wouldn’t be the man he is today.
Now a board member with the organization, which helps children who might otherwise go without take part in extra-curricular activities, Swearengen said the program has had an impact on thousands of youngsters since it was first introduced in Thunder Bay in 1998.
It doesn’t just happen, though, it takes money.
This year, PRO Kids is taking its appeal public, looking to raise at least $50,000 in April, which if realized, could benefit hundreds of local youth.
“The value comes in many ways. For the child, they get to play the sports that they love, they get to branch out,” said Swearengen, whose mother was in a motor vehicle collision when he was young and couldn’t work, making it tougher to afford activities like football and hockey.
“For me, it was very easy to meet kids through sports, more so than in my own social life. It also teaches lessons – teamwork, discipline, integrity are some. But then also there’s the aspect that it lifts the financial burden on the parents. It’s really positively effecting the entire family.”
There’s no doubt with PRO Kids, a lot of kids would go without.
“And there’s going to be more moving forward,” Swearengen said.
Mayor Bill Mauro, on hand at Fort William Gardens on Thursday to help launch the campaign, said the numbers speak for themselves, especially when one considers the totality of what PRO Kids has accomplished since 1998.
“Twenty-five thousand young men and women have been supported through this program, all of them likely coming from low-income families. Many of those young men and women probably would not be able to participate in all the activities PRO Kids sponsors,” Mauro said.
The mayor said once participants are exposed to sports and other activities, it helps them develop more wholly, learning the benefits of sportsmanship and working as part of a team.
“You learn about discipline, self-esteem, all those great things that come from it … There’s lots to be proud of here from the city’s perspective from supporting and managing this program, and from the corporate sponsors and individuals in the city who financially contribute and make it the program it’s become,” Mauro said.
PRO Kids works with more than 200 activity and sports providers in the community to provide free or discounted placements in their programs. Fundraising allows them to double the amount.
Donations can be made at any local TD Bank branch, the Canada Games Complex or online at www.prokidsthunderbay.ca.
