Ottawa Senators Foundation: Game changers for youth
Thousands of Ottawa-area children are attending summer camp for the first time, enjoying recreational opportunities right in their own neighbourhood, learning to skate, and participating in no-fee competitive sports leagues, all thanks to programs established by the Ottawa Senators Foundation.
The Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and its Foundation is well known throughout the community for helping to create and fund Roger’s House, as well as for raising tens of millions of dollars for charitable organizations.
About four years ago, the Foundation’s board of directors changed their core strategy to focus on projects involving social recreation, education, and physical and mental wellness. “Focusing on fewer projects with a larger level of impact helps us make a measurable difference in the community,” said Danielle Robinson, president and CEO of the Ottawa Senators Foundation. “The decision to put an emphasis on social recreation was an easy one. Most kids are not getting their 60 minutes of daily exercise, while one in five children can’t afford to play sports. Getting kids active after school, on weekends and during the summer months is critically important to their future success.”
To that end, the Foundation established the SENS Campership program, which has enabled more than 1,500 children and youth, aged four to 17, to attend residential or day camps this summer. The program is designed to give children from low-income families recreational and skill development opportunities, increase campers’ self-confidence and personal development, boost their physical activity and nutritional awareness while building teamwork, leadership and fair play skills.
As part of the SENS Campership program, Foundation and Club staff visit camp locations to give campers a taste of the Ottawa Senators with a special SENS Day at camp. Hockey activities include the chance to shoot pucks, a mini ball hockey tournament, a visit from Sens’ mascot Sparty, campers having their picture taken with Sens’ player cut-outs to take home as a memory from camp, and receiving keepsakes from the hockey club and Foundation to take home with them.
“Many of the kids tell us that Sens Day is the highlight of their week at camp,” said Robinson.
Meanwhile, the Ottawa Senators Foundation is continuing their SENS RINK initiative to build rinks throughout the city and beyond, giving children and families access to year-round activities including hockey, skating, ball hockey, basketball and lacrosse, in addition to community activities of all kinds. This program enables hundreds of kids and families to have a place in their own community to get active, establish healthy routines and provide access to programs and activities that would otherwise be out of reach.
Roger’s House remains an important legacy of the Foundation, which will continue to work with community groups to raise funds to assist with ongoing operational costs of the home.
For more information about the Ottawa Senators Foundation, visit www.sensfoundation.com.