Press Release: Kitchener Rangers, Rangers Reach, and KidsAbility Unveil Kitchener Ranger Movement Room Mural
Kitchener, ON – On Wednesday, February 19th at KidsAbility’s newest King Street location, the Kitchener Rangers, in partnership with Rangers Reach, and KidsAbility unveiled a new mural in the Kitchener Rangers Movement Room.
Back in November of 2023, The Kitchener Rangers and Rangers Reach announced a significant contribution of $100,000 to the KidsAbility Foundation, a collaborative effort to fund a new therapy room.
“Over 17,000 children and youth are supported yearly across all KidsAbility locations with a focus on providing their families support to guide their journey,” shared Jennifer Foster, CEO of KidsAbility. “The Kitchener Rangers Movement Room symbolizes the commitment of the Kitchener Rangers and Rangers Reach and their shared belief of supporting our work with children to build independence. By donating to the renovation of our newest facility, they are helping each child explore their own ways to move so they can better focus, learn and socialize, and so much more, through play.”
The ribbon cutting event was attended by all parties who shared wonderful messages about the positive impacts these specific relationships will have on the children in this community. It also included families of those who now see their children thrive because of the treatment they receive from this facility.
“Lydia has not stop talking about her birthday wish coming true and meeting Jackson Parsons,” said Israel Briand, father of Lydia. “With Lydia’s cerebral palsy she has a different gait while walking but with her determination, nothing stops her from moving about. She was so happy yesterday.”
The longstanding relationship between the Kitchener Rangers and KidsAbility dates to 2011 when the Rangers made a notable contribution to the development of a KidsAbility site in Kitchener. Since then, the Rangers and Rangers Reach have continued to support KidsAbility’s mission to help children and youth reach their communication, social, physical, and behavioral goals each year.
“We were thrilled to be part of the ribbon cutting and opening of the KidsAbility Movement Room yesterday,” said Kitchener Rangers COO, Joe Birch. “We are grateful for the opportunity to continue our great partnership with KidsAbility and the opportunity to support an important cause in the community. In collaboration with Rangers Reach, the movement room will serve as a great spot for current and future KidsAbility families and children.”
Craig Campbell, Executive Director of Rangers Reach stated, “Being able to attend the official opening of the Therapy Rooms at KidsAbility and witnessing first-hand how the kids utilizing the space just reassured me that the impact that our investment with KidsAbility is making true community impact.”
This donation is a result of the great support from Rangers Nation and your generous contributions to Rangers Reach through programs like 50/50 on game days. Rangers Reach and the Kitchener Rangers thank you for helping support our community.
Background: About KidsAbility
For over 17,000 children, youth, and their families in Waterloo Region and Guelph-Wellington, and surrounding areas, KidsAbility is a leader in delivering a wide and diverse range of rehabilitation services, many of which cannot be found elsewhere in the region. Our vision is to create a network of care, where every child, youth, and family are able to thrive.
KidsAbility Foundation exists to support this vision by engaging the generosity of community support to secure vital funding to address the specialized therapy needs of children and youth served by KidsAbility.
Lisa Talbot, Executive Director of KidsAbility Foundation, emphasized the impact of Rangers Reach support: “When discussions first began about relocating KidsAbility Kitchener to double its size and address growing community demand, the Kitchener Rangers and Rangers Reach responded without hesitation. Today, we celebrate this collaboration with the successful creation of this space for play, movement and accessibility. Since 2011, the Club’s support and care for local families in our community has made the Kitchener Rangers and Rangers Reach a powerhouse far beyond the rink.”
About the Mural: “We aimed to match the sports theme to its surroundings, and most importantly to the support already provided by the KidsAbility team. Our goal was to extend this positive experience by providing a graphic that is both engaging and relatable for children, so session visits are even more enjoyable. This mural symbolizes the magic of movement in each of us, whether we’re the hockey player or the hockey fan who is inspired by them. The hockey players depicted here hold their sticks, poised to challenge the moment. This pose is reflective of each child’s opportunity to realize their own potential, score big goals, and thrive in moments of possibility.
For inquiries, contact:
Luca Lombardi
Communications Coordinator
Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club
416-885-4510
[email protected]
