Release: Athletes To Help Kids Stay Active In Schools
May 23, 2014
OLYMPIANS AND PARALYMPIANS TO VISIT MORE THAN 175 SCHOOLS DURING 2014 CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE Each visited school will be presented with a Canadian Tire sport equipment kit during the 2014 Celebration of Excellence Heroes Tour
TORONTO – Today, the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees announced that more than 175 schools will be visited by Canada’s Sochi Olympians and Paralympians during the 2014 Celebration of Excellence Heroes Tour, helping spread the values of sport to youth across the country. As part of its award-winning ACTIVE AT SCHOOL campaign, a partnership with over 70 other organizations to ensure children and youth have one hour of quality physical activity at school every day, Canadian Tire is partnering with the COC and CPC and will donate a sports equipment kit to every school visited throughout Banff, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa and Red Deer, each valued at $150. In an effort to inspire as many youth as possible in Canada during the 2014 Celebration of Excellence presented by RBC, the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees have increased the number of schools to be visited on their Heroes Tour from 75 schools in 2012 up to 175 for 2014. To encourage kids to be more active at school, each kit contains basketballs, volleyballs, soccer balls and skipping ropes which are perfect for use during recesses and lunch. “One of the best parts about being an Olympian is getting to connect with the youth in our country,” said Charles Hamelin, three-time Olympian and four-time Olympic medallist. “The Heroes Tour really gives us a chance to help promote active living and it gives us an opportunity to spend time with youth who are some of our biggest supporters.” “Paralympic athletes have a powerful message to share. That message is that everyone, as human beings have this incredible power to adapt, to bounce back when life circumstances brought to us are difficult. That is a power that each and every one of us has,” said Paralympian Caroline Bisson. “The schools visit will be a great opportunity for us to share our story with young Canadians and instill the dream of sport in all of them.” The Heroes Tour school visits form part of a larger education program implemented by both the COC and CPC, where free classroom resources are offered to educators across Canada in order to seed Olympic and Paralympic values at a grassroots level. The Canadian Olympic School Program seeks to recreate the excitement of the Olympic Movement in the classroom and throughout the school. The resources are aimed at sparking discussions about values, telling stories that inspire and encouraging students to work together to find creative solutions to suggested challenges and current issues. Written by teachers, for teachers, the resources are pedagogically sound, classroom friendly and adaptable. These free educational resources are available for download at olympic.ca/education. The Paralympic Schools Program is a free online teachers’ resource to help teachers engage students in the Paralympic spirit. It provides teachers with the resources to educate students on parasport and establish positive perceptions of people with a physical disability. More details are available at: www.paralympic.ca/paralympic-schools-program. The Sochi 2014 Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Teams will be making public appearances starting on June 4th at Ottawa-area schools and hospitals as well as the House of Commons. The Heroes Tour, consisting of school and hospital visits, will be making its way through Calgary, Banff, Red Deer and Edmonton on June 5th; and the post-Sochi Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame Gala, Induction Ceremony and Parade will take place in the City of Calgary on June 6th.
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Canadian Olympic Committee Media Office: Jane Almeida, Senior Manager, Media Relations Tel: 416-324-4120 / Cell: 416-540-1788 Email: jalmeida@olympic.ca Luc Beaudin, Coordinator, Communications and Media Relations Cell: 514-206-6720 Email: lbeaudin@olympic.ca Canadian Paralympic Committee Media Office: Martin Richard, Executive Director, Communications & Marketing Phone: 613-569-4333, ext # 2224 / Cell: 613-725-4339 Email : mrichard@paralympic.ca Alison Korn, Manager, Media Relations Phone: 613-569-4333, ext # 243 / Cell: 613-298-4927 Email: akorn@paralympic.ca