Commonwealth Games Foundation of Canada Celebrates Amazing Canadian Firsts With Its First Ever Public Fundraising Campaign
Athlete-led Campaign Asks that 2022 Not be Canada’s Last Commonwealth Games
OTTAWA – On “Giving Tuesday”, November 27th, the Commonwealth Games Foundation of Canada is hoping that supporters of the Commonwealth Games and Canada’s high performance athletes will get behind a campaign intended to ensure Canada’s continued participation at the Games.
Alysha Newman, reigning Commonwealth Games Champion and record holder in the women’s pole vault is the Athlete Ambassador leading the campaign. “Canada owns a series of amazing firsts at the Commonwealth Games”, she says, “with Canada being the founder of the Games, the four-minute mile being broken on Canadian soil, medal sweeps, records and so much more. Unless we secure the funding, the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham will be Canada’s last with fully funded athletes. Don’t let 2022 be our last; support this campaign and ensure that Canada will be able to create more Commonwealth firsts.”
To view the campaign and Alysha’s video shout out to fellow athletes, go here:
Canadians will be proud to watch this video of Canadian firsts, which features 3 minutes of extraordinary Canadian world records broken by Canadian athletes from 1930 to today. This video is a true celebration and tribute to some of Canada’s best sporting moments.
With Commonwealth Games Canada’s funding being cut by 70% in 2010, the organization has had to use its small reserve funds to continue to send athletes to the Games (Glasgow 2014, Gold Coast 2018), but the funds will expire post the Birmingham 2022 Games. This #GivingTuesday fundraising campaign’s goal is to raise $800,000 over the next four years, 100% of which will be used to send athletes to the 2026 Games.
Canada’s high performance athletes consistently rate the Commonwealth Games as one of their favourite Games, adding that these play a huge role in their Olympic and Paralympic success. In fact, statistics show that 80% of the medals won at the Summer Olympic Games are won by Commonwealth athletes.
For information:
Commonwealth Games Association of Canada
Brian MacPherson
Chief Executive Officer
613-244-6868 x226
brian@commonwealthgames.ca
ABOUT COMMONWEALTH GAMES CANADA
Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) is the franchise holder for the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth movement in Canada, and an active, contributing member of the Canadian sport community. The mission of CGC is to strengthen sport within Canada and throughout the Commonwealth by participating in the Commonwealth Games and by using sport as a development tool. Visit www.commonwealthgames.ca for information.
