Wildcats golf event impacts community’s youth
The way Karen Thompson sees it, the Moncton Wildcats Celebrity Golf Classic will have a huge spinoff effect on her organization.
“We’re thrilled and honoured to be part of this event,” said Thompson, P.R.O. Kids coordinator for the Town of Riverview. “This is going to open the doors for us as far as making sure that Riverview families in need know that we’re here to help them.
“This is going to raise the profile of our program and also open the doors for more fundraising opportunities in the future. People are going to become more aware of what our program does and the positive impact it has on so many young people in our community.”
The Wildcats will hold a glitzy golf event on June 13 at Royal Oaks Golf Club as part of their 15th anniversary celebration in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
A donation will be made to P.R.O. Kids from funds raised in this tournament. P.R.O. Kids is a community charity in Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe that assumes costs and allows underprivileged youth to take part in a wide range of sports, recreational and cultural activities.
P.R.O. Kids stands for Positive Recreational Opportunities. The Riverview chapter of this organization, founded in 2001, was the first one in Atlantic Canada.
“In 2001, we placed 103 kids in various activities,” said Thompson. “In 2010, we made 332 placements. Our program eliminates the barriers to participation for those kids from families in need. They don’t have to worry about it and their family doesn’t have to worry about it.
“When you’re a kid you shouldn’t have to worry about things like whether you can afford to play the game. If your family is having financial hardship, you should still be able to play soccer, learn to play a musical instrument, join Scouts or Girl Guides and so forth. Our program helps make sure everyone is on the same playing field.”
National Hockey League players, professional golfers and representatives from baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays, basketball’s Toronto’s raptors and the Canadian Football League have been invited to participate in the Wildcats Texas Scramble golf tournament.
Former Wildcats head coaches Ted Nolan and John Torchetti and former Wildcats goaltending coach Frantz Jean have confirmed their participation.
Nolan is now vice president of hockey operations for the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League. Torchetti is associate coach of the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers and Jean is the goaltending coach for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Wildcats golf tournament has 32 four-member teams, plus a celebrity draw, and it quickly sold out. To put your name on a waiting list, contact Wildcats vice-president Bob Crossman by May 30 at 862-9103 (phone), 859-5152 (fax) or by email at [email protected].
There will be a Maritime Lobster Reception on June 12 at Royal Oaks Golf Club. Registration also includes 18 holes of golf and a power cart, driving range, a welcome gift bag, dinner/banquet, live and silent auctions, and prizes for longest drive and closest to the hole on Par 3’s.
There will be a car as a hole-in-one prize on the first three Par 3’s. If someone gets a hole-in-one on the fourth Par 3, they will receive a new truck, a new Harley Davidson motorcycle and $5,000 in cash.
“We’re very pleased to be associated with the Wildcats,” said Dieppe P.R.O. Kids community officer Marise Cormier. “I’m sure it’s going to be a really great event. They’re not the type of organization that does anything halfway.
“I’m sure we’re going to be able to help quite a few kids with the funds raised. This is also going to help promote our program and raise awareness because there are still some families that don’t know there’s help available to them.”
Dieppe P.R.O. Kids placed 39 kids in activities in its first year in 2008. It had 170 placements in 2010.
“The program has grown tremendously in a short period,” said Cormier. “The feedback that we get from parents is that the kids are happy and their self esteem has been raised as a result of participating in an activity they look forward to. Sometimes kids are struggling with situations at home so this gives them something to smile about.
“Some families hesitate to apply because they have a lot of pride and they don’t realize this is a confidential program. It’s important for this to be confidential so that the kids don’t feel like they’re being treated differently than anybody else.”
P.R.O. Kids in Moncton goes by the name MyRap, which stands for Moncton Youth Recreation Assistance Program. The program has helped over 150 children since it was founded in April 2009.
MyRap offers youth the opportunity to register in community, cultural and recreational activities that would otherwise not be accessible due to financial circumstances. Like P.R.O. Kids in Riverview and Dieppe, everything is kept confidential.
“Participation in sports and other activities gives a child a higher level of self esteem and a more positive outlook on life,” said Dorine Gautreau, who runs MyRap through the YMCA.
“Physical activity and social interaction are important to the healthy development of our children. We help children and youth from ages 4-18 with registration cost and equipment.”
For information on MyRap, contact Gautreau (857-0606 or [email protected]). The contacts for P.R.O. Kids in Riverview and Dieppe are Karen Thompson (387-2051 or [email protected]) and Marise Cormier (877-5022 or [email protected]).
Parents must fill out an application form to have their child accepted into MyRap or P.R.O. Kids.
“This golf event the Wildcats are putting on is great publicity for our program,” said Gautreau. “It’s certainly a nice way for them to give back to the community in a really meaningful way.
“The Wildcats are doing their part to support a program that helps kids. If it wasn’t for this program, there’s a lot of kids who wouldn’t be able to participate in sports and other activities that help develop healthy habits and social skills.”
* Neil Hodge is a Times & Transcript sports reporter who covers the Moncton Wildcats.