COVID-19 Has No Effect On Local League and Their Giving Spirit

Although the global pandemic caused a local women’s mixed-sport league to end their inaugural season prematurely, it did not impede their vision of “making a difference” in Chatham-Kent.

Play it 4Ward kicked off their first season in September of this year, with the purpose of giving back to the community, donating 50% of member registration fees towards one of 4 local charities. Each week, four 10-player teams faced off against one another in a different sport. Each team “win” was accompanied with a dollar amount towards the charity of choice for their team.

The closure of public schools across the province due to COVID-19, took away the option of using the location where the league had booked for the year. As the severity of the virus increased, the league made the proactive decision to end, doing their part to help stop the spread on a local level.

With a number of games left to be played, the league was faced with the decision to continue divvying the remaining funds between the four charities equally, or use the money towards combatting the battle against COVID-19 locally.

After connecting with the Chatham-Kent Food Policy Council and receiving a list of local organizations that were in need, Play it 4Ward made the decision to donate $400 to the Soup Kitchen operating out of Word of Life Church in Blenheim. The church is operating as a take-out service 6 days a week from 10:30AM-Noon, and is also delivering meals to seniors and those unable to leave their homes.

This donation brings the total list of charitable donations coming from the league to:

• Chatham-Kent Children’s Treatment Centre – $586.25
• Ronald McDonald House Charities Southwestern Ontario – $522.50
• Pet and Wildlife Rescue – $458.75
• Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network $432.50

Over $300 was also collected by league members in November to provide support towards a fundraiser for the family of local young woman who had suffered a brain aneurysm in November.

“The slogan for our league is “Breaking a Sweat, Making a Difference” explained one of the leagues four captains, Caress Lee Carpenter. “We aren’t able to come together, collectively, to break a sweat right now – but we are dedicated to making sure that we deliver on the second half of that slogan.”

The league would also like to thank H20-4-U for their generous monetary donation, as well as Display FX for providing the league with team t-shirts. Any businesses or organizations seeking more information are asked to contact the league captains at playit4wardck@gmail.com