Five Langley-based amateur sports teams and leagues are among 72 to share an $11 million Amateur Sport League Fund announced by the privincial government on Tuesday, July 27.
A list released by Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport minister Melanie Mark included the Vancouver Junior Hockey Limited Partnership, also known as the Langley-based Vancouver Giants; the Langley Rams Canadian Junior Football team that plays in B.C. Football Conference; the Langley Rivermen Junior A hockey club that belongs to the Mainland Division of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL); the Fraser Valley Water Polo Club that provides programs for boys and girls ages seven to 19; and the South Coast Female Amateur Hockey League.
“These top-level athletes have dedicated their entire lives to become the best of the best, and like all British Columbians, they’ve sacrificed so much during the pandemic,” said Melanie Mark.
“These grants will provide vital support to B.C.-based sport organizations so these athletes can continue to reach for the stars.”
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Amateur Sport League Fund will provide one-time grants to help B.C.-based and B.C.-owned non-profit and for-profit amateur leagues recover from financial losses suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, to support amateur athletes and ensure the jobs of people who work for the leagues and teams are protected.
It will be administered by viaSport, the provincially supported umbrella group for more than 70 B.C. sports organizations.
Charlene Krepiakevich, CEO of viaSport said the funding “will help ensure that the amateur sport system pulls through the pandemic so that our athletes can play another day and sport can continue to be an integral part of the economic and social fabric of our communities.”
Recipients include amateur leagues and teams that compete at the provincial, national or international level, helping them with operational costs, such as salaries, administrative costs and personal protective equipment.
READ ALSO: B.C. government announces $1.5 million in pandemic relief for struggling Legion branches
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