March 2/23 10:03 am - Two Cyclists Receive CAN Fund Bursaries

Posted by Editoress on 03/2/23
 

CAN Fund is a charitable organization that was started from a hospital bed at Toronto Western by Founder, Jane Roos with the idea of helping a few athletes compete for Canada. In this 20th anniversary funding year, cyclists Molly Simpson and Nick Wammes were among 21 recipients (out of 998 applicants) of $8,000 awards for coaching, equipment, travel and training expenses.

Nick Wammes



Molly Simpson (far left)

The reality is that the majority of athletes who wear the maple leaf are in debt and rely on CAN Fund at some point in their careers in order to pay for what they need to train and compete on the world stage.

Over the past 20 years, spanning 10 Olympics and 10 Paralympics CAN Fund has hosted hundreds of engaging fundraising events including The White Ice Gala, London Calling and CAN Fund Athlete House at Shaw Tower and First Canadian Place; launched national fundraising campaigns and initiatives like $8 for 08-08-08, Patrons of Sport Monthly Donors, Sprott Gold Metal Celebration and CAN Fund #150Women; and in doing so, has helped make dreams achievable for the best athletic talent in this country.

"I hope that people are inspired by CAN Fund knowing that Canadians from across this country have impacted the dreams of thousands of athletes over the past two decades. Behind every dream is a community of people who believe in their potential. Our athletes rely on the backing of others so they can access the resources they need and are expected to pay for. I followed my intuition that people would want to support athletes and help them succeed by being a part of their journey, if an organization existed. All of our fundraising campaigns are intentional to encourage people to care more and want to invest in Canadian talent. While also very personal, because every donor finds out which athlete their donation directly impacts." - Jane Roos CAN Fund Founder

With the cost of living continuing to increase and the uncertainty of many national sport organizations undergoing much needed change, the demand for financial support exists now more than ever. Recently a record 998 athletes from across Canada applied to CAN Fund.

To celebrate the launch of CAN Fund's 20th Anniversary, athlete recipients will now receive $8000 instead of $6,000. This money goes directly to the athletes and allows them to pay for new equipment, coaching, flights to training camps and competitions, better nutrition, extra physio and basic living expenses.