(Nov. 22, 2020) — This holiday season, the Grindstone Award Foundation is looking for support to reach their yearly fundraising goal of $20,000 to keep young female hockey players in the game with the Help Her Play campaign.
The Grindstone Award Foundation provides grants annually to Canadian female hockey players under the age 19 who have a desire to play, but face financial barriers that have kept them out of the game. Applications for the next round of grants open in the spring of 2021. The grants offer up to $500 to reimburse a player’s registration fee.
In the past, the Grindstone Award Foundation relied on events to help fundraise. From the popular annual hockey tournament weekend and Girls Rock the Rink camp in Kelowna, B.C., partnering with other organization’s events, to hockey skill camps across the country for young females who then got to skate and learn alongside elite female players.
“With more families than ever scrambling to pay for rent, mortgages and other bills because of job losses and cutbacks due to COVID-19, we anticipate the need for financial assistance to keep young girls in hockey will be greater than ever next season,” said Grindstone president Laura Oliver. “While we know this goal is ambitious, we also know it is attainable. We are asking for female hockey supporters to help us make an impact in a young person’s life.”
This year Grindstone celebrated a milestone of awarding over 100 grants to young female hockey players in need of financial assistance since inception.
“We were most fortunate to receive assistance last year, my daughter’s first year in hockey,” said a parent of a recipient located in Alberta. “She became a happy, vibrant girl again just because of hockey. She repeatedly says that ‘hockey has changed my life.’ My daughter has changed so much since becoming a hockey player just last year. We are so grateful that she has hockey now and we can see the shining light back in her eyes again.”
Grindstone accepts one-time donations that are tax-deductible and can be made in memory or honour of someone. The other option is for a recurring monthly donation where, for about the cost of a roll of stick tape per month, you can Help Her Play. Recurring donations start with as little as $5 per month. The monthly gift is tax deductible, donors will be sent a gift receipt and the donation can be made in memory or honour of someone. Another option is to purchase stylish Grindstone apparel or a jersey as a gift. Dollars from apparel purchases not only put your funds back towards grant recipients, but also help spread the awareness about Grindstone. Apparel items can be viewed at GrindstoneAward.com/store.
Grindstone also has a tiered sponsorship program starting at $2,000 that offers benefits and perks for businesses, groups, teams, or personal donations.
The Grindstone Award Foundation president is reminding those with programs at their place of employment that give to charities to consider giving to the Help Her Play campaign. She encourages anyone with questions about sponsorship opportunities to visit grindstoneaward.com/donate to view the different donation options, or contact Grindstone directly [email protected].
“What a great gift idea it is for someone to know that funds donated will go towards helping a young female hockey player. With your gift you are also helping grow the futures of girls and women in hockey,” said Oliver.
To learn more about the Grindstone Award Foundation, to find out how your business can become a sponsor, or how you can personally donate, visit GrindstoneAward.com. You can also find Grindstone on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @GrindstoneAward.
