That musty bag of old hockey equipment in the basement or neglected bike gathering dust in the garage just might be a child’s ticket to a lifetime relationship with sport and healthy activity.
At least that’s the hope of Chris Wilson, the director of KidSport Tri-Cities, as the group gears up for its semi-annual used sports equipment sale, to be held Sept. 9, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Poirier Forum.
The event, which is in its 10th year, is a major fundraiser for the organization, which subsidizes up to $300 of the registration fees for families that might not otherwise be able to afford to have their kids in sports. Wilson said the money raised by the sale could end up helping 80 to 100 kids participate in sports.
But fees are only half the financial battle.
Most sports require specific equipment, shoes and clothing. For some sports, like hockey, those costs can add up quickly.
That’s the beauty of the used equipment sale, said Wilson. Not only does it fill KidSport’s coffers to help pay registration fees, it also helps families save money outfitting their kids for the sport of their choice.
“We’re helping people,” Wilson said. “We’re pretty proud of that.”
The equipment that will likely be on offer at the sale runs the gamut from fishing and camping gear to hockey pads and skates, to exercise equipment and more than 140 bicycles. One year, someone donated a used trampoline that Wilson said he ended up buying for $25 for his own family to enjoy.
Giving used sports equipment renewed life also keeps it out of the landfill, although Wilson admits some of the donated gear that’s just too antiquated, like old skis or worn-out hockey helmets, does eventually find its way into the garbage.
In the days leading up to the sale, some of the 150 volunteers, including members of the Coquitlam Express hockey team, Coquitlam Adanacs lacrosse team and various amateur sports organizations, will sort through the piles of equipment that can be dropped off up to Sept. 8 at three locations: Port Coquitlam and Port Moody rec centres, and the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex. They’ll check for things like cracks in helmets, and whether exercise equipment is functional. Another group of volunteers is already hard at work fixing up and cleaning bikes that have been donated.
That way, every one of the 1,700 or so people expected to attend the sale will be able to leave with a smile on their face and a bargain under their arm, Wilson said. But he won’t be calling dibs on any orphaned trampolines — his kids are too old for that now.
• For more information about the sale and how to donate used equipment, go to www.kidsporttricities.ca.
