Mitchell and Matthew Kelm with some of
the sports equipment they collected and will donate to other
children through Kidsport Okotoks. photo
submitted
|
By bruce campbell
sports Editor
A pair of young brothers wants to help children get the necessary
equipment they need to play sports.
Matthew Kelm, 8, and his
brother Mitchell, 5, had their ears perk up when their mother,
Leigh, discussed raising money and equipment for Kidsport Okotoks.
As a result, the two youngsters have drafted a letter they are
distributing to their hockey teammates asking if they have used
sports equipment that could be donated to children who need it.
Kidsport Okotoks is an organization dedicated to financially
helping families register their children in sports programs.
“I
have a friend in Calgary who could only play one sport because his
parents could only afford one sport,” explained Matthew, who plays
for the Okotoks Novice Wildcats. “He chose hockey.”
Drafting the
letter (with a tiny amount of help from mom with punctuation) wasn’t
a hardship, it was something they both enjoyed.
“I like to write
letters, (especially) letters that can helps kids play hockey,” said
Mitchell, a member of the Okotoks Timbit Red Wings.
So far the
Kelm brothers, who are also involved in martial arts, have collected
some martial arts equipment.
However, Okotoks Kidsport chairman
Nick Ruigrok is optimistic that more equipment will be coming in as
the Kelms’ letter permeates though the Okotoks community.
Meanwhile, Ruigrok is busy preparing for the Kidsport street
hockey tournament at the former Guardian Drugs parking lot on
Elizabeth Street on Nov. 24.
“It’s not really a fundraiser as
much as to raise awareness about Kidsport,” Ruigrok said.
The
tournament will be informal. Teams will be mixed and matched that
day.
“We will be mixing parents with their kids — we want to make
it a family thing too,” he said, adding there is no entry fee for
the tournament as well.
A barbecue will be held during the
tourney.
Anyone wishing to donate sports equipment to Okotoks
Kidsport, make a financial donation or have inquiries about the
street hockey tournament, can call Kidsport Okotoks at 831-PLAY
(7529) or e-mail kidsport_okotoks@yahoo.ca
Following is the
Kelms’ letter:
Dear Team-mates,
We would like to ask you if
you could donate some of your old equipment to Okotoks Kidsport.
Some kids don’t have enough money to go play hockey and other
sports like that, and they don’t have money to buy equipment. We
want to help them so they can play sports too. Will you help?
At
any game or practice you can give it to us and we’ll take it to
Kidsport (www.kidsport.ab.ca)
Thank-you!
Matthew and Mitchell
Kelm
|
