New organization ready to promote sport in Niagara
Doug Hamilton, Board Chair of the Niagara 2022 Canada Games Host Society, (left) and Niagara Community Foundation Executive Director Bryan Rose. Photo by: BILL POTRECZ.
Dan Kennedy sees Sport Niagara as a lean, mean, promoting machine.
The 51-year-old Niagara Falls native is the first employee of the newly created organization, which was announced Friday at Canada Games Park.
“We’re a not-for-profit, which changes our model a little bit,” said Kennedy, Sport Niagara’s Director of Operations. “We’re not necessarily looking to make a profit, we’re just looking to cover our costs. With that fund, and with us operating lean — I’m really the only employee, everybody else is contract as needed — we’re able to keep that cost really low and put more of that money into those events in the community and support those programs.”
Kennedy said the goal of Sport Niagara is to work with all Niagara municipalities to help bring events to their communities.
“We’re not here to necessarily manage all the events, but if Thorold, for example, would want to find something for the summer for youth, we would go out and find those events and make that connection and work with them to facilitate and make it happen,” Kennedy said. “That’s the best case scenario for us.
“We want all kinds — big events, small events — we just want to fill the community with sports so people are active and there’s always something going on. And, from a financial standpoint, all the economic benefit that comes with that.”
Kennedy has a long and varied background working in sporting and live events.
“I’ve spent over 30 years doing NHL All-Star games, Major League Baseball, Super Bowls. I did last year’s Super Bowl and will do it again this year,” he said.
The announcement was made celebrating the one year anniversary of the Niagara 2022 Canada Games.
“For 16 days, Niagara celebrated the wonderful achievements of Canada’s best young athletes,” said Doug Hamilton, Board Chair of the Niagara 2022 Canada Games Host Society. “Our vision for these Games was to host an event that would inspire, transform and unify Niagara, and that would also leave a lasting legacy for our community.
“As described in the Niagara 2022 Canada Games Final Report, despite facing challenges such as the COVID pandemic, Niagara delivered on its vision. We were able to achieve this success thanks to the generous support from our partners and sponsors, and the phenomenal contributions by our tremendous team of volunteers and staff.”
As a member of Community Sport Councils Ontario (CSCO), Sport Niagara joins a growing team of more than 40 community sport councils across Ontario. As described by the CSCO, “Sport councils are mechanisms to encourage greater cooperation and collaboration among sports group to provide a collective voice for sport in a community. They are intended to break down barriers between sports, serve as a liaison on sport issues, and support joint advocacy regarding sport needs.”
The Niagara Community Foundation (NCF) has been operating for more than 22 years and is one of 200 community foundations across Canada under the umbrella of Community Foundations of Canada. As a community foundation, NCF helps connect donors to causes, and charities to resources, through the creation of permanent endowment funds, like the 2022 Canada Games Legacy Fund.
“Importantly, this partnership with the NCF will ensure that the 2022 Canada Games Legacy Fund is well-positioned for continued growth through investment and future contributions. These contributions to the 2022 Canada Games Legacy Fund will be critical to the long-term success of Sport Niagara,” Hamilton said.
Established in 2000, the Niagara Community Foundation has raised more than $76 million and has granted in excess of $24 million to charities working in the arts, heritage, environment, social services, health, education and community development sectors. NCF connects donors to causes and charities to resources, turning intent into impact.
“Sport Niagara is a natural continuation of the legacy of the 2022 Canada Games. When the Niagara 2022 Host Society reached out to us and talked about its intention to open an endowment fund after the completion of the Games, it was the natural fit,” said Bryan Rose, NCF Executive Director. “NCF is in the business of legacy building, helping to turn the intention of our donors into impact in the community. We are proud to take this next step with Sport Niagara to ensure that the athletes of our community are not only supported for today, but for generations to come.”
Over the next several months, Sport Niagara will continue to develop its organization’s strategic governance and business plans. For further information, visit sportniagara.ca or follow on Facebook and Linkedin (@sportniagara).
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