Today, Jays Care Foundation is formally announcing $885,000 in funding to support the Rookie League program in BGC Clubs (formerly Boys & Girls Clubs) this summer. Rookie League is a best-in-class summer camp for kids between the ages of 4 and 15 that will be run in 58 community Clubs across nine Canadian provinces. Over the course of the summer, the program is expected to provide more than 12,000 participants nationwide with a safe return to in-person summer camp.

In 2020, the Rookie League program ran virtually at BGC Clubs, reaching nearly 10,000 campers with innovative programming approaches to keep kids active and engaged through the pandemic. This year, in accordance with local public health guidelines, the program will return to an in-person capacity and provide kids with the opportunity to safely foster connections while developing life skills.

“This summer, we are incredibly excited that thousands of kids will be able to safely return to camp at 58 BGC Clubs across the country,” said Robert Witchel, Executive Director, Jays Care Foundation. “We are thankful to our partners at Rogers for making this program possible and are thrilled to continue a legacy of supporting summer programming for Canadian children and youth at BGC Clubs.”

“Jays Care Foundation has offered incredible support throughout the pandemic, including resources and training to help our Clubs transition to virtual,” said Owen Charters, President & CEO, BGC Canada. “As restrictions begin to lift, we are thrilled that Jays Care and Rogers are providing funding so thousands of kids across the country can once again connect in-person with trusted Club staff and councillors and take part in summer activities that boost their physical and mental health.”

Jays Care’s Rookie League program is supported through a longstanding partnership with Rogers, the Foundation’s largest funding partner. Rogers has provided more than $10 million in funding to Jays Care Foundation programs in the last 10 years alone, with the partnership supporting the building or refurbishing of accessible baseball diamonds as part of Field Of Dreams, providing Ted Rogers Scholarships for Jays Care-nominated youth since 2017, and has helped thousands of kids gain access to the Rookie League program across Canada, including through the “It’s More than a Game” fundraising campaign.

Please see below for a full list of BGC Clubs participating in the 2021 Rookie League season:

Alberta:

• BGC Whitecourt & District
• BGC Red Deer & District Club
• BGC Saddle Lake
• BGC Stettler & District
• BGC Wetaskiwin
• BGC Strathcona County
• BGC Wolf Creek
• BGC Cochrane & Area
• BGC Bigs, Edmonton
• BGC Airdrie Club
• BGC Fort McMurray
• BGC Foothills Clubs
• BGC Fort Saskatchewan
• BGC Leduc
• BGC St. Paul

British Columbia:

• BGC Central Vancouver Island
• BGC Okanagan
• BGC South Coast BC

Manitoba:

• BGC Winnipeg

New Brunswick:

• BGC Petitcodiac
• BGC Greater Saint John
• BGC Moncton
• BGC Dieppe
• BGC Charlotte County Club
• BGC Greater Fredericton
• BGC Salisbury
• BGC Riverview

Newfoundland & Labrador:

• BGC Bell Island Club

Nova Scotia:

• BGC Truro and Colchester
• BGC Yarmouth
• BGC Preston
• BGC Greater Halifax Clubs
• BGC Cape Breton

Ontario:

• BGC Niagara
• BGC Ottawa
• BGC Peel
• BGC Sarnia-Lambton
• BGC London
• BGC Cornwall/SDG
• BGC East Scarborough
• BGC Brantford
• BGC Durham
• BGC South East
• BGC Kawarthas
• BGC Albion Club
• BGC Hamilton-Halton
• BGC Eastview
• BGC Toronto Kiwanis
• BGC St. Alban's Club
• BGC West Scarborough

Prince Edward Island:

• BGC Charlottetown
• BGC Summerside

Quebec:

• BGC Dawson