The Town of Waldheim is launching a summer recreation program for children beginning July 5, thanks in large part to a $5,000 grant from Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart program.
Waldheim Recreation and Community Development Officer Melissa Kobylak said the eight-week program will run till the end of August, providing youngsters with an opportunity to participate in outdoor and indoor games and cultural activities.
It’s the first time the program has been offered in the community.
“It’s very exciting,” said Kobylak, whose position with the town was newly-created this past spring. “We have a large population of children in Waldheim and there is a real need for this sort of program.
“With the purchase of the former Zoar Church building by the town, we’re able to do a lot more than we have in the past in terms of programming for that age group.”
The summer recreation initiative received a boost at the end of May when the town received confirmation it would receive a $5,000 grant from the Canadian Tire Jumpstart Sport Relief Fund.
Last February, Canadian Tire committed an additional $12 million to its Jumpstart Sport Relief Fund to augment $9 million in funding already committed for 2021. The Town of Waldheim was one of 1,300 sports and recreation organizations across Canada to receive funding from Jumpstart to promote sports and recreation.
“With Jumpstart’s support, we were able to purchase recreational equipment and hire two staff members for our summer playground program,” said Kobylak. “Now more kids will have the opportunity to participate in fun activities and stay busy mentally and physically.”
Kobylak said the summer program will adhere to whatever public health guidelines are in place.
“Most of the programming will be outside in our parks and school playgrounds,” said Kobylak. “Everyone likes to be outdoors when the weather is nice.
“But we’ll also be able to use the multi-purpose gathering space in the former Zoar Church building for indoor activities when the weather isn’t so nice.”
The town purchased badminton racquets, volleyball nets and other equipment that can also be used year-round for the community’s after-school program slated to come on stream this fall. The former Zoar Church building is located across the street from the town’s K-12 school and will house not only civic offices, but also an after school program. The building will continue to be the location of the Waldheim Community Preschool.
Kobylak said the town council and administration committed to the summer playground program prior to the news of the Jumpstart grant.
‘It was a nice surprise,” she said. “I applied for a lot of grants, but the town had already set aside funds in the budget. They wanted to make sure the programming went ahead regardless. The grant will allow that money to go further.”
Kobylak said registration for the summer program opened June 10. So far, the uptake has been brisk.
“We do have quite a few kids registered already, and more are coming in every day,” she said. “Each session is two weeks long, and there is a small charge of $10 per child to help us cover costs. Each session will be limited to about 20 kids.”
The summer playground program is open to youngsters age 4 through 13. Kobylak said the morning sessions will be for younger kids age 4-8, while the afternoon sessions are for kids age 9-13.
Parents interested in registering their children for the summer playground program can do so through the Waldheim Town Office.