2016 PRO KIDS ANNUAL REPORT BACKGROUND

WHAT IS PRO KIDS

PRO Kids is a registered charity dedicated to making recreation opportunities accessible to Thunder Bay children and youth who are unable to participate in programs due to financial challenges.

The PRO Kids concept was developed by the City of Thunder Bay Recreation & Culture Division as the result of extensive consultation with social agencies, recreation providers, youth and other stakeholders. PRO Kids has been in operation since 1998 and is now managed by a Board of Directors responsible for the delivery of the service to the community. Since its inception 18 years ago, PRO Kids has made over 23,144 placements of children and youth in Thunder Bay community programs.

VISION

That all children and youth in Thunder Bay are able to participate in recreation activities which boost self-esteem and promote healthy growth through the learning of new skills, increased knowledge, and personal development.

PURPOSE

To provide program and financial assistance to as many children and youth as possible who, due to lack of funds, are not able to participate in registered recreation activities.

WHY PRO KIDS?

According to 2011 Statistics Canada data, 5992 children between the ages of 0-18 were living below the low income cut-off in Thunder Bay and District. This represents 5.5% of the total population, and 26.2% of the total youth population. Financial barriers have been identified as one of the main obstacles preventing children and youth from participating in activities.

Recreational activities can make a positive difference in the lives of children and youth by providing them with the opportunity to develop leadership and teamwork skills, learn healthy lifestyle choices, enhance self-esteem, meet positive role models, and learn to play by the rules. Kids who are active in recreation programs form positive peer connections and are less likely to engage in negative behaviors. Page 1 PRO KIDS & COMMUNITY PARTNERS

PRO Kids is able to help so many children thanks to partnerships with the community organizations that offer recreation activities in Thunder Bay. These partners provide free and discounted registration spaces in their programs. PRO Kids matches these spaces with children who have applied for assistance.

PRO KIDS HELPS

 PRO Kids provides service to low income families.  The process is completely confidential.

 When an application is approved, children/youth are fully integrated into the activities.  PRO Kids places children/youth into programs that the applicant has identified as being of interest.

PRO KIDS RECEIVES SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY & PARTNERS  PRO Kids connects families with the organizations that provide community activities.

 Organizations prefer not to be involved in the screening process; PRO Kids provides that service.

 PRO Kids provides opportunities to be active not only in sports, but also in arts, culture and recreation.

 PRO Kids is a valuable service that brings people together and supports a healthy community.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Who is eligible?

Children and youth who satisfy the following requirements:

 18 years of age and under

 From low-income families & unable to afford registration fees

 Not participating in any other paid recreation program

The Process

First-time applicants will be contacted to discuss their eligibility. The application form requires that a reference be provided. The reference is contacted in confidence to confirm information that would qualify the applicant for PRO Kids assistance. References are often a social worker, clergy, group leader, coach, teacher, etc. Page 2 PRO KIDS 2016

2016 marks the 18th year that PRO Kids has ensured that all youth in Thunder Bay, regardless of income, have equal access to community activities. A child who was placed in an activity through

PRO Kids in 1998 at the age of 4 1800 is now 22 years old. These 1600 activities provided this growing 1400 youth skills and confidence as 1200 well as a sense of belonging and 1000 Applications Received inclusion, giving them the ability 800 Children Placed to become a contributing 600 member of society. 400

200 The following chart maps out the 0 trend of placements over the 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 past 8 years. Notice that though 2016 was not the year with the most applications received, it is the year with the most children placed compared to the 7 years prior. PRO Kids continues to promote the service among people living in low-income residential areas and through social service agencies who can make referrals directly on behalf of families in need. Additionally PRO Kids attends many community outreach programs and events where information on the program is distributed directly to possible applicants. We hope to see a rise in the use of PRO Kids as a result of these promotional efforts.

New Families/ Children

Many of the families who access PRO Kids are recurring applicants, however, in 2016 there were 195 new families, representing 384 new 450 children who applied to PRO Kids. 400 350 300 250 New Family 200 150 New Children 100 50 0 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Page 3 Every year that passes brings more challenge to the operations of PRO Kids. There is much time spent on the phone and in person, consulting families on activities that might best suit their children and negotiating with partner activity providers to see how we might accommodate a few more children in their program. The most significant workload increase has been in the area of fundraising, especially initiating, organizing, presenting and evaluating fundraising events as well as securing sponsorship and good promotion. All these elements take time but are needed to meet the demands effectively. To that end, PRO Kids was able to secure funding to hire an intern for one year through the Northwestern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC). This fund is established to give new post-secondary graduates work experience with the hopes of creating additional jobs in the work force. Allyson Drombolis was hired in January of 2016 as the PRO Kids Planning and Development Analyst. Working closely with the Coordinator, PRO Kids achieved goals such as rebranding the annual Diving event to be called “Conquer the Tower”, participated in a larger number of community engagement activities, keeping the website relevant and updated, refreshed the look of PRO Kids publications and literature and, perhaps the greatest achievement, placed 200 additional children in programs. PRO Kids is working toward maintaining the support of an additional staff for the future.

Board and Volunteers

PRO Kids attract volunteers who are kind, hard-working and possess great integrity combined with their desire to help kids in our community. We welcomed three new members to the Board of Directors in 2016; Cole Anderson, Heather Collins and our youth representative, Joshua Swearengen. The board works well together and each member makes a contribution especially representative of his/her varied experiences. This was their first year under a new model of governance which has members aligned with fundraising events and other initiatives. In addition to being responsible for the Registered Charitable Status, this group continues to act in an advisory capacity for the service.

Page 4 The Fundraising Committee supports Board initiatives and takes part in events as well. They have been known to generate good fundraising ideas and will take the lead on things like merchandise sales and pursues corporate fundraising initiatives such as dress down days. This group also provides the “working hands” when it comes to putting golf kits together and packaging materials for various other events. Many of these members are retired, but have excellent skills and talents that they like to share to support PRO Kids during business hours.

There are additional volunteers who come into the office to help with small projects or filing while others support us and help out at events like the Family Skates or Conquer the Tower. The one common thread that all our volunteers have is that they are able to have fun, are friendly and focused on their work. It’s a pleasure to work with them.

Partner Activity Providers

PRO Kids is built on the foundation of partnerships with community activity providers. We value the spaces they donate in their programs in order to support kids in our community. The number of partners remains consistent at around the 200 mark, however, some organizations fold while others are introduced. In 2016, PRO Kids formed partnerships with the following: Corans Music Education Centre, Dance Basics, Image Dance Studio, Krav Maga Martial Arts, Maple Tops Activity Centre, Novocentre (Franco Camp), Whitewater Golf Club, Thunder Bay Roller Skating and Akira at Whitefish School.

Page 5 2016 PLACEMENTS

Applications & Placements

In 2016 a total of 1,547 applications was received with 1,407 of them resulting in placements. A significant increase from the 1,369 700 627 received and 1,215 placed in Received 600 558 2015. 500 PRO Kids continues to successfully 400 358 place on average 80% of the 330 273 289 270 applications received, with 2016 300 249 being slightly above average at 200

91%. 100

0 Winter Spring Summer Fall

Applications Received: 1,547 Applicants Placed: 1,407

Participants Breakdown by Gender

The number of male applicants and female applicants were very close in 2016, with nearly a 50/50 split. Comparatively, in 2015 we saw a wider distribution with 45% female and 55% male applicants.

Male Female Participant Application Status 51% 49%

Applications may be submitted up to one season in advance of the requested program and are handled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Some applications are incomplete or the desired activity is unavailable at the time of the request. In these situations, the PRO Kids Coordinator makes an effort to discuss options with families so that children/youth can choose an alternate activity or be placed in the desired activity in the appropriate season.

Page 6 Although it does not occur Withdrawn Copied Course N/A frequently, in some cases the 1% 5% 1% applicant does not meet the Declined 2% PRO Kids criteria and as a result are declined. This can be due to a number of factors including the applicant already being Placed enrolled in another paid 91% recreational activity.

In other situations, the applications come in late. These children are considered for the following season’s activity and are shown as “Transferred to Next Season”.

Transferred to Total Not Program Not Place Declined Withdrawn Next Applications Placed Available Season Received 1407 0 35 20 73 15 1547

Participant Breakdown by Age

The number of placements made and the number of children/youth placed are not the same thing. There were 1,006 children/youth who participated in PRO Kids. Some of these individuals participated in more than one program throughout the year which translates to 1,407 total number of placements.

Age 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 # of Children Placed 4 25 36 39 67 72 91 86 94

Age 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 # of Children Placed 89 83 68 67 52 44 31 22 22 14

Page 7 Summary of Activity Choices 2016

Recognizing that children’s interests and talents are diverse, PRO Kids prides itself in placing children in arts, music and cultural activities in addition to sports. This is one of the things that differentiates PRO Kids from other similar organizations. The following chart shows the distribution of applicants activity choices in 2016.

Art Baseball Basketball Bowling 1% 1% 1% 2% Camp Swimming 7% 23% Dance 3%

Football 1% Soccer 7%

Skating 2% Gymnastics 27% Performing Arts 2%

Other 5% Music 3% Hockey Martial Arts Leadership 10% 5% 1%

While activities like hockey, swimming and dance see consistent demand over the years, there has been a significant increase in applications for gymnastics in 2016.

Other Includes: Tennis Equestrian Yoga Cooking Leadership Includes: Volleyball Cheerleading Canadian Red Cross Wrestling Basketball Girl Guides of Canada Curling Diving Scouts Canada Lacrosse Golf St. John Ambulance Fitness Sewing NWOSSSAA Skiing/Snowboarding

Page 8 Diversity

PRO Kids has always been accessible to people from all populations. Gathering demographic information on diversity can be valuable to secure funding through grants and foundations when preference is given to serving specific populations. Furthermore, understanding and learning more about our applicants allows us to reach them and provide our services more effectively. The Freedom of Information and Protection of Individual Privacy Act prohibits PRO Kids from requesting information about a child’s heritage or background. However, we have been able to get a general idea of the scope of families we serve through the agencies that are identified as references on applications. The chart is a snapshot of the referral sources provided on applications. A number of referrals provided are financial advisors, lawyers, doctors and government officials. They are indicated on the above graph as a “professional”.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

Financial Analysis In 2016, a total of $190,178 was raised through grants, sponsorships, events, and charitable donations. The cost for placing over 1,400 children into activities (PRO Kids Allocation) was $101,075. This is comparatively higher than last year due partially to the additional 200 placements made. $14,229 was transferred out of the Reserve Fund to accommodate PRO Kids support staff. However, with $22,280 made in interest, the Reserve Fund did see $8,051 in growth.

Page 9 PRO Kids Statement Of Financial Activity Year End December 31st 2016 Un-audited Prepared by Administration Community Services Department

Actual Budget Actual Revenues 2015 2016 2016

City of Thunder Bay Operating Budget Excluding salaries $88,600 $40,500 $40,500 Grants (TBDSSAB etc.) $35,000 $35,000 $35,000 NOHFC $27,846 Sponsorship $9,380 $1,500 $15,075 Miscellaneous Revenue $24,690 $13,000 $7,910 Registration Fees $90 $0 $2,353 Charitable Donations $94,455 $100,500 $101,994 Total Revenues $252,215 $190,500 $230,678

Expenses

PRO Kids Allocation $86,131 $80,000 $101,075 Total Expenses $86,131 $80,000 $101,075

PRO Kids Reserve Fund Statement of Continuity (Unaudited - Prepared by Management) 2015 2016 Balance, beginning of year $894,072 $1,019,855 Transfer from Revenue Fund $71,843 ($14,229) Interest Earned $53,940 $22,280 Balance, end of year $1,019,855 $1,027,906

The Corporation of the City of Thunder Bay By-Law Number 9, 1998

The monies in the reserve fund are used for the purposes of direct support for children and youth participation in community sport, recreation and cultural activities and the management of the PRO Kids service.

Page 10 FUNDRAISING

PRO Kids organizes and supports a number of fundraising initiatives throughout the year. This includes original events and activities that are planned and carried out by the PRO Kids fundraising committee, third party events that other organizations put on in support of PRO Kids, and grants that are applied for on a continuous annual basis. The following section highlights each of these initiatives and their successes in 2016.

Events & Activities

The summer of 2016 marked the return of the very successful Training with a Pro. This year Thunder Bay professional hockey players Carter Hutton, Robert Bortuzzo, Mackenzie Blackwood and Stanley Cup winner Matt Murray donated their time to the event. Over 125 children and youth participated in one of the four dry land training clinics and met their hometown heroes. $3,700 was raised with support from sponsors Bur-Met Contracting, Puck Shots and Superior Crossfit. Each participant left with an autographed hockey card, a picture with the pro and a smile.

As a result of the events popularity, a second edition of Training with a Pro was created. The CFL’s Grey Cup winner of the Ottawa Redblacks, Nigel Romick headlined Training with a Pro: the Football Edition. The two clinic spinoff raised $2078 and was sponsored by Tbaytel.

Mayors Mulligan ran for its 11th year, out of which 9 years have been in support of PRO Kids. Participants enjoyed a sunny day at Strathcona Golf Course, with a silent auction and a number of contests. This was a particularly special year with Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, the Honourable Patty Hajdu giving a beautiful testimony about how PRO Kids impacted her life as a single mother of two. Minister Hadju had mentioned the benefits of PRO Kids in her address to the House of Common earlier that year. The golf tournament raised $14,000 in 2016 and was a major annual financial contributor to PRO Kids. The tournament has shifted it delegation of funds to support Shelter House next year. PRO Kids is exploring ways to recover these funds through other channels.

Page 11 PRO Kids two annual Family Skates were held at the Fort William Gardens. Shaw Communications and Mac’s Convenience Stores were both back as contributing sponsors, helping raise the combined total of $2,608. This year attendees were surprised by a Superhero flash mob. Batman, Super Girl , Iron Man and others took to the ice to teach attendees a dance that they all performed at the end of the night.

The fundraiser that has participants taking the plunge off the towers at the Canada Games Complex came back under a new name, Conquer the Tower. Sponsored by Levaero Aviation, an amazing $28,889 was raised in support of PRO Kids and the Thunder Bay Diving Club. With 17 brave participants, the event brought in a huge crowd and made a big splash! Participants fundraising efforts are displayed below.

Participant Conquer the Tower Pledges Representing Total Raised Cole Anderson PRO Kids Board of Directors $1,090 Carlos Barcena Bombardier $ 263 Kim Baskin City of Thunder Bay $1,431 Doug Bluchier Douglas Contracting Sponsored by Freedom 55 Financial $1,000 Steven Brown TBDC Board & Thunder Bay Police Service $1,280 Jesse Buob Progressive Strength & Conditioning Sponsored by TBT Engineering $1,150 Pat Charlebois LCPS Chartered Accountants $1,761 Cliff Friesen Retiree $6,415 Dan Grant Thunder Bay Border Cats $1,414 Andrew Hotrum Thunder Bay Military Sponsored by Rapport Credit Union $1,000 Cynthia Hudson Lowerys Sponsored by Lowerys $1,170 Melissa Kelly Magic 99.9 Sponsored by Magic 99.9 $1,000 Robert Monchka City of Thunder Bay Firefighter Sponsored by Grant Thornton $1,000 Jeff Murray Ministry of Community Safety Correctional Services $ 500 Lawrence Richards Levaero Aviation $1,351 Devin Speziale RBC $1,090 Tristan Wagnar City of Thunder Bay Firefighter $1,200 Total $18,115

Page 12 Hockey is a very popular but very expensive sport. Many families cannot afford the equipment that is necessary for their kids to play. The PRO Kids Hockey Equipment Give-Away provided 36 kids in need with lightly used hockey gear. The equipment is donated to PRO Kids throughout the year and stored at Vale Community Centre until the beginning of the hockey season.

PRO Kids continues its equipment recycling program with Play it Again Sports. Here, sports equipment can be donated at Play it Again Sports and the value of the equipment is credited to a PRO Kids account. Children can then be referred by PRO Kids to access the account for the equipment they need. Tbaytel continues to collect old, unwanted cell phones to recycle through Green Tec, with the proceeds going to PRO Kids. In 2016 $1,200 was raised through this initiative.

Third Party Events

Forge for the Youth was a concert put on by Brandon Smith of local band Hunt and Gather at the Finlandia Club. The event included talented local acts The Honest Heart Collective, Cold Lake Sun, and Jean-Paul DeRoover. The event was very successful, raising a total of $1,500 for PRO Kids.

The Advent Journey was a Christmas concert held at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, featuring the Thunder Bay Community Choir. The show was beautiful and $2,400 was donated.

Two hockey associations took part in fundraising for PRO Kids. Lakehead University’s hockey players tried their hand at serving at Boston Pizza’s Meet the Thunder Wolves and $710 was raised. The Thunder Bay AAA Kings hosted a Golf Tournament that contributed $715 to PRO Kids.

St. Ignatius High School held not one, but two fundraisers in 2016. Two lunch markets were held over the year that not only promoted PRO Kids but also healthy eating in schools. Combined, the lunches raised $354.

The Great Canadian Wholesale Club organized the “Give a little, help a lot” fundraiser in the summer. Customers were prompted for $2 donations at the till leading to a total donation of $774.

Page 13 Grants & Funding

Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board and the City of Thunder Bay continue to offer tremendous financial support to PRO Kids’ operations. In 2016 Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board contributed $35,000 to help place local children into community programs.

Canadian Tire Jumpstart provided $21,893 in funding for PRO Kids in two installments, once in the spring and once in the fall. Jumpstart provides further funding for hockey players through “The Big Play”. The Big Play allows families to access $500 to apply to their hockey registration. PRO Kids can direct its hockey applicants to The Big Play and the PRO Kids Coordinator can approve their application, assuming it meets the criteria. As the district Dedicated Community Partner, the PRO Kids Coordinator approves regular Jumpstart applications as well. These applications receive $300 and can be applied for on a bi-annual basis. This added responsibility ensures more funding to Thunder Bay families in need.

The United Way of Thunder Bay provides an additional channel for the community to donate to PRO Kids. Payroll deductions can be designated to PRO Kids this way. This is a simple and effective way to procure consistent donations from the Thunder Bay workforce. In total $688 was raised.

PRO Kids continues to see funding from annual donors such as the John Andrews Foundation, who donated $5,000 and Kiwanis of Westfort, who donated $2,000. Keith Lord Community Sport Foundation through the Vancouver Foundation Fund donated to PRO Kids $1,700. LH North Ltd donated $2,500 that was to be assigned specifically to children applying for hockey.

A strong community partnership with TBT Engineering was formed in 2016. Not only did the consulting group come in as a 10 metre sponsor for Conquer the Tower, they also donated a generous $5,000 towards PRO Kids efforts.

Page 14 COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP

PRO Kids is successful in helping children and youth get involved in activities through the generosity of community partners. Over 200 community partners donate or reduce the cost of spaces in their programs to allow children and youth to participate. In some circumstances the parent will be asked to contribute a portion of the cost. This may be a result of a program that has a particularly high cost or if it is not financially feasible for the activity provider to cover half the cost. There have also been some cases where the parent can cover some of the cost and only needs a portion of the registration to be covered.

2016 Total Value of Placements $345,889

Parent Cost 15%

Partner Value PRO Kids Cost 56% 29%

Parent Cost $50,547 Paid by PRO Kids $101,075 Value of Partner Donated Spaces $194,267 2016 Total Value of Placements $345,889

Page 15 THANK YOU TO OUR 2016 DONORS & SPONSORS

Hat Trick ($10,000 over 3 years) United Way of Thunder Bay Jump Start– Canadian Tire Foundation for Families John Andrews Foundation United Way—Mayors Mulligan Grand Slam ($5,000+) TBT Engineering Touchdown ($2,500+) Levaero Aviation TD Bank LH North Ltd. La Capitale Financial Group Foundation Pirouette ($1,000+) Dallan Forestry, LP ERCO Worldwide Freedom 55 Financial Cliff Friesen Grain Elevator & Processing Society Grant Thornton LLP Hunt & Gather Investors Group-Winnipeg Keith Lord Sport Foundation Fund Kiwanis Club of Westfort Inc. Mac’s Convenience Stores North Star Air Ltd. Partners in Rehab Rapport Credit Union Red River Holdings Kenny Ritson Scotiabank Shaw Communications Robert Smith Confederation College Performing Arts Club Tbaytel Thunder Airlines Ltd. Scott McEwan—In Memory George Stasiewicz—In Memory Francesco Daniele—In Memory Michael O’Shaughnessy—In Memory Thunder Bay Professional Fire Fighters Assoc. Standing Ovation (500+) 948887 Ontario Ltd. Bearskin Airlines Brian Vistorino Boston Pizza Canada Helps Doug Wood Dino DiGiuseppe Knox United Church The Picture Store Loblaws Inc. Nor’Wester Hotel Don Skochinski Alexandra Pontello RBC Clayton Shaw Page 16 Thunder Bay AAA Thunder Bay Catholic District Thunder Bay Police Charity Kings School Board Foundation Resolute Forest Products, Sumac Forest Information TB Sawmill Employees Service Ltd. Kick-Off ($250+) Smith & Associates Insurance Marla Poulin Mary McDonald—In Memory Bell Canada Tyler Bisby Spectra Energy Corp. Cathy Britt Bruno’s Contracting Ltd. St. Ignatius High School Michael Gravelle Holy Cross School Autohome Paints Imperial Oil MacIvor Harris LLP Joanne Seitz Bill Mauro Jeff Murray Richard Lawrence Bayview Renovations & Contracting Fans ($100+) Myrna Anderson Kathleen Andersson Gary Armstrong Robert Arnone Aurora Construction Badani Motors Ltd. Loraine Baird Carlos Barcena Hilkka Brown Steven Brown Katie Burton Pat Charlebois Julia Charles CUPE Local 87 Laura Daniele Steve Davey Tom Deacon Dents Away JoAnne Diakow John Doughty Econo Stair & Rail Sheron Elder Lindsay Gannon William Heath Scott Henderson Doug Henry Carol Hinton Terry Howard Ken Jennings Dorothy Jones Susan Jones Mary Keyes Ian King Shawn Kunnas Jeanette Lankshear Jordan Lysak Kathryn Lyzun Evangeline MacMillan Dennis Marsh Bev Mauro Mary McGhee Stephen McInnis Janie Miller Lorraine Nothing Garth O’Neil Nanda Pepler Jason Perron Steven Rose Roberta Sawchyn Jan Sewell John Simperl Murray Smith Michael Speer St. Anthony’s Church Strathcona Invitational Victor Tesolin The Barber Shop Mary Wagnar Wanson Lumber Wayne Toyota Weiler Maloney Nelson Guy Wolframe Les Arnone Anita Fraser Kelly & Mark Grant Steven Hosegood Haley Irwin Ellen Lang Carol McClelland James Mucklow Catherine Rickey John Schimidt Stephanie Craig Heather Hyslop Reid & Wendy Linney Bill Warren Chris & John Andrew Siren Medical D. Young Health DMI Custom Whitehurst Professional Facility Ltd. Case Inc. Exaltation of the Iron Range John Luft Professional Cor- New Method Holy Cross Bus Lines poration Insulation & Supply PRO Kids Shaw Cable Thunder Bay Police Pietro Daniele— Board of Directors Company Staff Senior Officers Assoc. In Memory Page 17 THANK YOU TO OUR 2016 COMMUNITY PARTNERS

ART Baggage Building Arts Centre Redwood Kids Confederation College Science North Gallery 33 Superior Science Thunder Bay Art Gallery Thunder Bay Museum Thunder Bay Boys & Girls Club BASEBALL CANOEING Port Arthur Nationals Westfort Internationals Lakehead Canoe Club Murillo Athletic Association CHEERLEADING Thunder Bay Girls Softball Association Cheer Factory BASKETBALL Dynamite Cheer Allstars Blaze Basketball Club Miss Christine’s Cheerleading LU Athletics Basketball CLIMBNG BIKING/CYCLING Boulder Bears Climbing Black Sheep Mountain Bike Club COOKING Thunder Bay BMX Thunder Bay Cycling Club RFDA Kids Cook BOWLING CURLING Galaxy Lanes Fort William Curling Club Mario’s Bowl Kakabeka Falls Curling Club Superior Bowladrome Port Arthur Curling Club CAMPS DANCE Aurora Lutheran Bible Camp Chaban Ukrainian Dance Co Biz Kids, NOW Innovation Centre Dance Dynamics Camp Gitchigomee Dance Basics Camp 911 Experience Dance Canada Games Complex Fay Gleeson Dance Centre Career Samplers (Confederation College) International Dance Academy Chippewa Summer Camp Le Stelle Alpine Dancers Dorion Bible Camp Legacy Performing Arts Centre Eagle’s Cove Camp Morgan School of Highland Dancing EcoSuperior Camp Salsa Babies Evangel Church, Day Camp Satu’s Belly Dance & Drum Fort William Historical Park Slightly Off Broadway Kakabeka Falls Bible Camp Spirit of Dance Kid Ventures Studio One LU Athletics Camp T.B Society of Ballet & Dance Maple Tops Activity Centre World Dance Centre Novocentre Thunder Bay Zorya Ukrainian Dance Ensemble NRP—March Madness Page 18 DIVING Thunder Bay Women's Hockey Assoc. Thunder Bay Diving Club Volunteer Pool Bearcats Thunder Country Diving West End Bruins EQUESTRIAN Westfort Hockey League Westfort Maroons Amanda’s Green Barn Westfort Rangers Barnyard Friends Royal Denver Farms HOCKEY CAMPS Thunder Bay Therapeutic Riding Corbin Hockey FITNESS Core Hockey Camp Canada Games Complex Rick St. Croix School of Goaltending Confederation College Fitness Centre Northern Lakes Hockey Development Little Tikes Fitness Katie Weatherston Hockey School Monkeynastix Thunderwolves Hockey Skills School PUSH Fitness Centre LACROSSE Superior Cross Fit Training with a Pro Thunder Bay Lacrosse League Thunder Bay Sports Dome LEADERSHIP FOOT BALL Canadian Red Cross Superior Gridiron Football Clinic Girl Guides of Canada Thunder Bay Minor Football Association NWOSSSAA Roots to Wings Forest School GOLF St. John Ambulance Golf Thunder Bay Scouts Canada Whitewater Golf Club MARTIAL ARTS GYMNASTICS Black Tigers Tae Kwon Do Academy Giant Gymnastics Canada Games Complex Isshin Ryu Karate Thunder Bay Gymnastics Assoc. Charry's Martial Arts Centre Ultimate Gymnastics Cooke’s Tae Kwon Do Current River Isshin Ryu Karate HOCKEY Karate North Tae Kwon Do Koroko Dojo Thunder Bay Current River Comets Korean Martial Arts Centre Current River Mighty Mites Krav Maga Alliance Elks Minor Hockey Assoc. Leading Edge Gym Fort William Canadiens North End Karate Club Fort William Hurricanes North McIntyre Isshin Ryu Karate Grandview Rec. Hockey Progressive Martial Arts Hockey Northwestern Ontario-Clinics Sakamoto Judo Dojo KC Minor Hockey Shotokan Karate Neebing Minor Hockey Thunder Bay Judo Club North End Flames Thunder Bay Karate School Northwood Hockey League Thunder Bay Wado Kai Karate Norwest Minor Hockey Assoc. Thunder Dragons Tae Kwon Do Port Arthur Minor Hockey Assoc. Thunder Valley Martial Arts South End Minor Hockey West Thunder Karate Club Thunder Bay Beavers Thunder Bay Minor Hockey Assoc. Page 19 MUSIC SKIING/SNOWBOARDING Applauze Productions Kamview Jackrabbit Ski League Avila Music School Lappe Nordic Ski Club Gentlemen of Harmony Lappe Nordic Ski Centre Jim Krawchuk Drums Loch Lomond Ski Area Jaqueline’s Music Studio Mount Baldy Ski Area Kim Fuzzen Music Norwesters Alpine Ski Club Kindermusik with Mary-Ann Thunder Bay Nordic Trails Lakehead Suzuki Strings SOCCER Make Some Noise Music Studio Mr. J’s Music Studio Lakehead Express Soccer Club Music for Young Children Lappe & Area Local Services Board Music Place Lil’ Kicks Soccer Music Workshop Murillo Minor Athletic Assoc Musical Discovery with Suzanne North End Mini Soccer Rafiki Youth Choir Northwood Mini Soccer Rhythm Studio Tarbutt Street Soccer Club Susan’s Kindermusik Thunder Bay Chill Soccer Thunder Bay Symphony Youth Orchestra Thunder Bay Women’s Soccer Thunder Bay Youth Choir Inc. Thunder Bay Inter Lucania Soccer Club Valente’s Music SWIMMING PERFORMING ARTS Canada Games Complex Eleanor Drury Children’s Theatre Churchill Pool Magnus Theatre Dease, Heath, Widnall Pools - CTB Paramount Live Northwest Narwhal Swim Club Slightly Off Broadway Superior Sea Lions Swim Club Thunderbolts Swim Club RINGETTE Volunteer Pool Thunder Bay Ringette Association TENNIS ROWING Thunder Bay Community Tennis Centre Thunder Bay Rowing Club VOLLEYBALL RUNNING Thunderwolves Volleyball Thunder Bay Metre Eaters Superior North Volleyball Club SAILING Ontario Volleyball Association Sail Thunder Bay WRESTLING SEWING Lakehead Wrestling Club Sewing by Cherlyne YOGA SKATING Discover Yoga Kula Yoga and Wellness Instructional Skating Program-CTB The Bodymind Centre Fort William Figure Skating Club Injoy Yoga Thunder Bay Figure Skating Club Thunder Blades Speed Skating Club

Page 20 PRO KIDS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Special thanks to the PRO Kids Board of Directors for their guidance and involvement in acting as ambassadors for PRO Kids!

September 2015– August 2016 September 2016-August 2017

Emily Bosma – Chair Jason Garatti – Chair Jason Garatti – Vice Chair Heather Hyslop– Co Vice Chair Heather Hyslop Jacqueline Marsh- Co Vice Chair Jacqueline Marsh Gerry Leach Gerry Leach Jackie Livingston John Walmark Marla Poulin Jackie Livingston Lynne Savela Marla Poulin Cole Anderson Lynne Savela Heather Collins Cole Anderson Joshua Swearengen Heather Collins

PRO KIDS FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE Many thanks to PRO Kids Fundraising Committee for their energy and enthusiasm in raising funds for PRO Kids! 2016

Candace Begin Rosanne Stasiewicz Cathy Britt Sheelagh Hendrick Ellen Lang Sharon Mercier Susan Jones Trisha Allan Lori Lamke Marla Poulin

PRO KIDS STAFF

2016

Maryann Kleynendorst, Supervisor, Support Services/Children & Youth Laura Daniele, PRO Kids Coordinator Ally Drombolis, PRO Kids Planning and Development Analyst

Page 21 CLOSING REMARKS

The statistics provided in this report speak for themselves. In 2016 PRO Kids increased the number of children placed in programs by 200. While some applicants age out of the service, we have attracted 195 new families, and served 384 new children. It is unfortunate that so many families live in poverty in our community, however, we focus on the good, knowing that PRO Kids helped to level the playing field, allowing marginalized children to play, be creative, compete and engage in community activities.

“Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do.”

– H. Jackson Brown

Page 22 PRO Kids City of Thunder Bay

Recreation & Culture Division

Victoriaville Civic Centre

111 Syndicate Ave. S.

Thunder Bay, ON

P7E 6S4

Phone: (807)625-3212

Fax: (807)625-1444

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @prokidsthunderbay

www.prokidsthunderbay.ca