‘We want to eliminate that barrier for girls to enter the game’: Grindstone Award helping hockey players
Posted Nov 28, 2020 5:45 am.
Last Updated Nov 28, 2020 9:00 am.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) — Over the last five years, the Grindstone Award Foundation has helped 100 Canadian girls pay their hockey registration fees.
https://twitter.com/GrindstoneAward/status/1330614676632297475
Now it’s aiming to assist 100 more.
“We want to eliminate that barrier for girls to enter the game,” foundation president Laura Oliver explained. “We provide grants, and we also provide developmental opportunities — hosting tournaments or working with associations or bringing in professional women’s players to help develop girls. We do a mix of that.”
AUDIO: Sandra Prusina chats with Grindstone Award Foundation president Laura Oliver
However, the COVID-19 pandemic put the brakes on any in-person activities, and that’s why Grindstone started the Help Her Play campaign.
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“We’re looking for other ways for people to donate,” she said. “With COVID, we do anticipate the number of grants being needed to rise significantly.
“We’re making a push right now during the holidays to make sure Grindstone is considered during the season when people donate to various causes. We want Grindstone to be on their mind when they are making that donation.
“We’re also looking for people. We want to grow. We want to be able to provide grants to every province, and we can’t do that without getting people to help us in those provinces in let families know that we are there.”
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Applications for the next round of grants open next spring, offering up to $500 to reimburse a player’s registration fee.
To learn more or to donate, you can visit the foundation’s website.
