Mary, Toronto ON

“Over the years, it has been gratifying to see how some children have progressed”

I was introduced to Start2Finish (S2F) by my employer about ten years ago and, along with some colleagues, began volunteering at Duke of York/Regent Park school. A few years later, this school was closed, and the program moved to Lord Dufferin. Some of the children we had got to know transferred to this school, so it was good to see some familiar faces, who were comfortable with the program and understood the expectations.

Over the years, it has been gratifying to see how some children have progressed. Some who were shy have become much more confident after learning to apply their athletic ability to run. In contrast, others, who may not be naturally athletic, have led our school to success in the reading challenge by studying hard.

After participating in the program from Grades 1 to 6, some children have remained with S2F as junior coaches while in Grades 7 and 8. Some have impressed us with their maturity and have shown many initiatives, such as helping to organize games. Two of our current junior coaches have excelled, with one being awarded a scholarship at a renowned private school and the other being invited to join the University of Toronto track team.

The highlight of the year is, of course, the 5K run and reading challenge at York University every summer. From watching our children compete against each other during games, we know their competitive spirit is fierce. Never is this more apparent than at the race. It almost brings a tear to the eye, watching them root for and encourage their fellow students on the home stretch. Last year, another coach and I were running with two Grade 2 girls, who were not fast runners, and we expected they would need a lot of coaxing to keep going. To our surprise, they ran the whole way solidly and ended with respectable times.

Our club is fortunate in having dedicated co-directors who lead us with much imagination and hard work to bring out the best in the children.

 

Land Acknowledgement

We would like to acknowledge the land on which we work, and which Start2Finish operates, is part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples inhabited and cared for this land. In particular, we acknowledge the territory of the Anishinabek, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Ojibway/Chippewa peoples; the land that is home to the Metis; and most recently, the territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation who are direct descendants of the Mississaugas of the Credit. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land, and by doing so, give our respect to its first inhabitants.

We welcome you to acknowledge the land you are on https://www.whose.land/fr/

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