At the Sport & Social Club, we are so proud to have tens of thousands of people participating in our leagues and programs across Toronto, Mississauga, York, Hamilton and Sudbury. If you’ve already signed up for one of our spring and summer programs (registration is now open!) you probably share our belief that sports are an essential part of a happy, healthy, and balanced lifestyle.
What you may not know, however, is that every time you join or form a Sport & Social Club team, you’re helping to bring this same opportunity to kids around the world.
The Sport & Social Club is a proud supporter of Right To Play. We donate a portion of every team fee to this worthy cause, and you’ve likely also noticed the pop-up asking if you want to add a donation to your shopping cart when you register for our programs. Through the power of this simple click, our members have helped us raise more than $200,000 over the past 10 years in donations. With your generosity, one million children worldwide are able to participate in weekly play activities run by volunteer coaches in 17 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and North America.
Right To Play’s work is based on the concept that sport and play can educate and empower children. Their programs ensure vulnerable children are learning vital life skills. Tailored to suit individual community needs, specially-designed games teach disease prevention, conflict resolution, and gender equality in extraordinarily disadvantaged locations. They may just look like games, but they mean so much more.
Children that participate in Right To Play programs build confidence and social skills, and go home with the knowledge to protect themselves, their families and their communities for life. And the cost of putting one child through a year of Right To Play programming is just $50.
Check out Daphine’s story below to further understand how your gift helps.
When Daphine joined Right To Play programs at the age of four, she was a shy girl who lacked the confidence to speak for herself. Fast forward 10 years and meet Right To Play Junior Leader Daphine–the future of Uganda. Not every young girl growing up in Uganda plans to be President one day, but she does.
After participating in the Right To Play programs, Daphine began to display leadership qualities and eventually asked her coach if she could help lead a class activity. Through play, Daphine has gone from performing poorly in school and showing little enthusiasm during her free time, to becoming a star in her community – and a top student. Last year in national standardized testing, Daphine got the top score for her age in all of Uganda.
The young leader credits her success to her involvement with Right To Play.
“Because Right To Play games keep me physically fit, my brain is always alert in class. When exam time comes, I remember what the teacher told me”.
Daphine has gained the trust and confidence of children and adults alike in her community, and encourages all children to play and learn.
“If I decide to take politics, it will be easy for me to become the president, since I will have the confidence to speak to many people.”
Next time you’re out at your SSC game, take a moment to reflect on how sports have made a difference in your life. And then think of children like Daphine, and how she has had the chance to be active, make friends, and develop new skills through play. You’re helping create similar opportunities for so many people like her.
Follow Right To Play Canada on Facebook and Twitter and take part in the global conversation on the #PowerofPlay.
~ Written By Sandeep Kembhavi & Ainsley Dowle