Bancroft Canadian Tire donates $8,000 to Jumpstart

Bancroft Canadian Tire donated $8,000 to Jumpstart at their store on Oct. 24. Marilyn Rubin, associate dealer with the Bancroft store, and Eric Cartlidge, regional manager for central Ontario with Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, comment on this donation.

Jumpstart is a national charity dicated to giving kids in need equal access to sport and recreation. Whether they want to try a new sport or continue on with a favourite one, Jumpstart works to ensure that no kid cannot participate due to financial or accessibility barriers.

Eligible families get help with their children’s registration, transportation and equipment and also grants funding to selected community sport organizations so they can provide opportunities for kids to play. Since 2005, Jumpstart has given 3.5 million opportunities for kids to play their favourite sports, thanks to a national network of supporters, including over 7,200 kids in the Hastings County chapter through individual child grants and community development grants.

During Jumpstart month in June, Bancroft Canadian Tire raised $8,000 for the Hastings County Chapter, the second highest amount in the mid-Canada and Ottawa Valley region.

Rubin told The Bancroft Times on Oct. 24 that the cashiers at the Bancroft Canadian Tire worked had to make it all happen and they even had a barbecue outside the store and sold Jumpstart chalk.

“The rest of it was through the community, because they give the donations at the cash and then we give back the donations to the community, which is great,” she says.

Cartlidge says there are a lot of organizations within the area that he knows of that use Jumpstart.

“I know kids definitely use it for Bancroft Gymnastics and hockey is always a big one too, because the cost of the sport is going through the roof. So, if there’s anything we can do to help out then that’s what we’ll do. And the kids can apply for money for equipment as well as registration fees, so they can get as much as they can,” he says.

Cartlidge reveals Jumpstart helped 440,000 kids last year and raised $34 million last year alone. Rubin adds that the dealers as a whole donated $1 million to Jumpstart in addition to the in-store community initiatives to raise money. Both stress that unlike some other charities, 100 per cent of the proceeds go to Jumpstart to help the kids.

Rubin says that what’s nice is that all the dealers support Jumpstart wholeheartedly.

“It’s a great charity and it’s hard to find something that everyone can get behind,” she says. “But how can you not get behind trying to get kids in sports or in arts or in anything that helps them get out and do some extracurricular activities to help them get leadership skills and everything else?”

Michael Riley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Bancroft Times