The power of play and supporting our athletes- Jumpstart #JSAmbassadors

I’m not going to lie, I have been excited about the Olympics for quite some time and am very happy that they are finally here. Over the next several days I will be catching up a few times daily on what is happening during the Olympic games.

Our athletes have worked hard to get to this point,  representing our country and competing for Canada. They have spent countless hours practising, competing and honing their skills to culminate at the Olympics. I feel an overwhelming sense of pride watching our athletes as they compete and represent our country, as most Canadians do.

It was a proud moment seeing our athletes decked out in their red jackets; striding  into the Olympic arena led by Haley WickenHeiser, the captain of our Canadian women’s hockey team and a Jumpstart ambassador, who was carrying our Canadian flag. The look of elation evident on all their faces at being there  and reaching their lifelong dream was so uplifting. Who hasn’t had dreams as a child of being a world class athlete and being up on that podium?

Canada had an amazing start to the games with our Canadian athletes winning three medals on the very first day. It  is wonderful to see our athletes rewarded for  their efforts, and see their continued successes!  All our athletes are very committed and very passionate about what they doing. They are also all very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to play and participate in sports which have brought them to where they are today.

The opportunity to play is important.

Jumpstart and We all play.

Sports are an important component in shaping a child’s life but the reality is that 1 in 3 Canadian families cannot afford to get their kids involved in sport and recreation. Jumpstart is a nationally registered charity that helps kids experience the joy and life skills that comes through participating in sports. Jumpstart gives kids (aged 4-18) a sporting chance by covering costs associated with registration, equipment and/or transportation. Since 2005, Jumpstart has helped almost 700,000 kids (and counting) get in the game! 100% of donations to Jumpstart go straight to achieve their vision of helping equip kids for life and directing them towards a better future. Together we can help all kids play!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fm2whifrdk&list=PL1OWopmxBAONgG9vqmDVOeDpqbwTIhdkQ&feature=c4-overview-vl

Canadian Tire Jumpstart is proud to have 10 Olympic Ambassadors attending the Winter Games in Sochi. In support, Canadian Tire and Sport Chek will be donating $5,000 to Jumpstart for every goal scored by one of the Jumpstart Olympic Ambassador’s. These Ambassadors include Jonathan Toews, Hayley Wickenheiser, Meaghan Mikkelson and Sidney Crosby.

A little bit of information on Sidney Crosby:

Sidney was a recently announced as the captain of the Canadian men’s hockey team for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Sydney scored the winning goal to bring home the gold medal from the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter games.

As of this posting,  [before the Canada/US women’s hockey game]   $5000 has already been donated to Jumpstart when Hayley Wickenheiser scored a goal in a previous game.

To learn more about the Ambassadors, visit the Ambassadors tab on Jumpstart’s Facebook page.  Don’t forget to stop by and cheer on your favourite athletes!

Help us celebrate!

To celebrate the Olympic Winter Games, Jumpstart has also launched the Podium Predictor! Join in before February 20th and submit your total medal count prediction for the Canadian Olympic Team to be entered to WIN 1 of 17 daily prizes or a Grand Prize of a $250 Canadian Tire shopping spree!

Fun giveaway

As an extra little bonus, I am holding a giveaway for my readers-open to Canada only ends Feb 24/14, ARV of  $110 –All entries will be verified! 🙂 Winner please make sure to respond within 48 hours or another winner will be drawn. Prizes may take up to six weeks for delivery.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

*Disclosure – I have been compensated for sharing my thoughts on this topic whether in the form of products, services or payment- however, all thoughts are my own and I am sharing because I believe in this.