Free Play for Kids receives major funding boost

The IA Financial Group awarded Edmonton's Free Play for Kids $105,000 on Tuesday. The charity provides inclusive spaces for kids.

Edmonton’s Free Play for Kids was awarded $105,000 Tuesday morning as part of the iA Financial Group’s philanthropic contest.

Free Play for Kids provides children with a safe and inclusive space to play. The initiative also holds nutritional literacy and food classes.

This is the ninth year the contest has been held. Each year has had a different focus, with this year’s targets being charities addressing food insecurity.

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“We are helping a lot of kids access food and food education,” said Adriana Martinez, the charity’s director of marketing and fund development. “This money covers at least half of our food budget for the next year so it’s huge for our program.”

According to iA Financial Group, Free Play for Kids was picked from hundreds of applicants.

Free Play for Kids says the money will be put toward ensuring kids have access to healthy snacks, food literacy workshops and monthly food hampers.

“We ask our kids to come and be physically active (and) mentally ready to engage with coaches and other kids, so food is crucial,” Martinez explained. “We all know how important food is for our body and for our mind, so we need to give that to the kids.”

Currently, 1,000 kids aged seven and up are enrolled in the program.