SPORTS: A GIFT THAT BENEFITS KIDS 365 DAYS A YEAR!

GivingTuesday is a global movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. Last year, $43.6m was donated online in Canada in just 24 hours!

As the official start to the holiday giving season, join the OSEG Foundation in providing children & youth in our community with the opportunity to experience the power of sports so they can excel and reach their full potential.

Thanks to the gracious support of Lamarche Electric, each donation will be matched, dollar-for-dollar up to $10,000 on GivingTuesday, which will allow us to support even more children and youth in our community. 

Your Gift Will Be Matched 2X

Give a gift this holiday season that will make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and youth in our community. We know that sports-focused strategies engage youth, and teach them important leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills – these are all things that will enrich not only their lives but our community.

Thanks to the gracious support of Lamarche Electric, holiday donations will be match, dollar-for-dollar up to $10,000, which will allow us to support even more children and youth in our community.

Girls in Sports

Numerous studies have shown that girls are less physically active than boys and face significant barriers to participation – especially girls of color and girls of low socioeconomic status. OSEG Foundation programs, such as Girls on the Run, work to mitigate these barriers by empowering girls to know and activate their limitless potential. We envision a world where every girl is free to boldly pursue her dreams and reach her full potential!

REDBLACKS Football Clinic

With both the professional and amateur football seasons just around the corner, the Ottawa REDBLACKS are thrilled to invite coaches from all levels of football to the REDBLACKS Football Coaching Clinic.

Campership Funds

Every child deserves the opportunity to experience camp. The OSEG Foundation Campership Fund works with local summer camps to provide children and youth, who may otherwise due to financial barriers be unable to attend, benefit from this experience. Camp provides children and youth with a safe and nurturing environment to connect, grow, and create lifelong memories. There is no better and more important time to offer a positive and potentially life-changing experience to the next generation.

Equity Through Diverse Impact Grant

The OSEG Foundation EDI Grant assists to remove financial barriers by offering organizations support in enhancing their inclusive practices to ensure all youth have equal opportunity to participate in sport and recreational programming. We seek to support organizations and programs that support and/or are led by different dimensions of social diversity (race, class, gender, sexuality, disability, nationality, religion, language, etc).

The OSEG Foundation EDI Grant provides $5,000 to Ottawa-based organizations that are using the power of sport to support marginalized children and youth in the community.

Youth Advisory Council

The OSEG Foundation Youth Advisory Council (YAC) serves to provide a voice and platform to the youth in Ottawa who can directly impact the opportunities available for their community.Through these direct youth voices, the OSEG Foundation will obtain a deeper understanding of issues and opportunities that will serve to inform and facilitate greater support for youth in the community.

Girls on the Run Ottawa

The OSEG Foundation is proud to announce that it is an Affiliate Council of Girls on the Run International and the first charitable Foundation in Canada to bring the Girls on the Run program to its local community. In alignment with the OSEG Foundation’s mission, Girls on the Run is committed to the development of important life skills through participation in sport, augmented by an evidence-based curriculum that helps girls manage emotions, resolve conflicts and make good decisions. Girls on the Run is a physical activity, positive youth development-based program that creatively integrates running and serves girls between grades 3-8.

For more information about the program and how to get involved, please visit www.girlsontherunottawa.ca or contact Kim McLean, Senior Manager – Community Impact and Engagement at kmclean@oseg.ca  

National Sponsor

Founding Sponsor

Official Sponsor

REDBLACKS Mentorship Program

The REDBLACKS Mentorship program aims to help at-risk youth from vulnerable communities with high rates of failure to graduate (42% at program inception) and high rates of poverty (31% vs 13% overall in Ottawa) by connecting youth to Ottawa REDBLACKS players who will act as athlete mentors and role models to inspire the youth to pursue their dreams.

Many of the Ottawa REDBLACKS players attribute their own personal and professional success to coaches and mentors they’ve had along the way and are looking to “pay it forward” to the next generation.

Youth participating in the program are black and multicultural between the ages of 14-18, living in low-income communities, in complex family structures, who have experienced racism and discrimination.

Youth will benefit from mentoring relationships with Ottawa REDBLACKS players who share lived experience, can promote a strong cultural identity and provide encouragement, support, guidance and strategies for the youth to reach their fullest potential.

The program will help reduce the risk of youth engaging in risky behaviours such as dropping out of high school, conflict with the law, or violence in the community and increase youth sense of self-worth and self-agency by:

• Widening youth access to activities in the broader communities with an emphasis on personal development and positive experiences
• Providing youth with networking and employment opportunities
• Removing financial barriers to engaging in personal growth opportunities