Fundraiser walk-a-thon encourages Montreal youth to participate in sports

Young Montrealers took part in the third annual Power of Sports Walk-a-thon on Sunday, raising funds to develop leadership programs and support youth sports.

The event organized by the Montreal Community Cares Foundation (MCCF) is a way to keep kids active and away from their devices. The MCCF says kids are less active — a lingering effect of the pandemic.

“Nowadays, they’re stuck on their screens, on their iPhones, on their iPads,” said MCCF founder Denburk Reid. “So with that comes a lack of motivation sometimes. Some mental stresses that develop.

“We’re bringing the community together to celebrate the true power of sports when it comes to youth development.”

There were sports activities for kids prior to the walk, which began at Georges-Saint-Pierre Park in NDG.

“It’s fun to have them out here just to see the kids not on their screens,” said Montreal mom Natasha Eadie. “They could have easily been in the park on their screens because I see that sometimes too, but they’re actually out here, they’re engaged and they’re having a good time.”

“The past few years, I’ve liked it. It’s really fun,” added Eadie’s son Khalil. “They have nice games to play.”

Reid says there are several advantages to physical activity beyond staying healthy.

“I believe strongly, wholly, that it’s not just a physical thing, but it’s a mental thing, it’s an emotional thing as well,” he said. “So we want the kids to touch and experience different things. That’s why we do what we do, to open up their eyes so that they can dream and dream bigger than what they think that they can do.”

“The unfortunate truth is that these kids are gonna go through some tough things,” added Kris Joseph, a McGill assistant basketball coach and former NBA player. “Just like I did, just like a lot of my peers did, and you want to know that you have the support. Sometimes that support might not always be at home.”

The target for this year’s walkathon: raise $100 000 to help reduce financial barriers and get more young people active and out.

“When it comes to tournaments, signing up for anything, travel, whatever the case may be, we wanna pay the coaches. We wanna make sure that they’re in a safe environment,” Reid said.

“The cost of everything has risen. And so we’re trying to lower the costs for the families by doing our own fundraiser to support these families.”

Taking note of the high costs for gym memberships and increasing layoffs, Reid launched the Power of Sports Walk-a-thon in 2021.