Aboriginal Sport Circle announces the Aboriginal Athlete Support Fund

For Immediate Release
June 18, 2008

AKWESASNE, Ontario – The Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC) is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the Aboriginal Athlete Support Fund (AASF). The fund is designed to help Aboriginal athletes attend national or international sporting competitions. Funding for the program is a legacy of the highly successful 2002 North America Indigenous Games (NAIG) held in Winnipeg.The AASF will be a crucial funding tool for some of Canada’s top Aboriginal athletes from events such as the NAIG, the Arctic Winter Games, and the Canada Games. The ASC believes that all athletes must have certain resources available to them in order to reach their maximum potential.

“The AASF is a core initiative of the ASC,” said Virginia Doucett, ASC Executive Director. “This program demonstrates the ASC’s commitment to helping our athletes achieve their full athletic potential by offsetting some of the costs associated with pursuing elite competitive and high performance training opportunities.”

Alex Nelson, Chair of the NAIG Council, added that “the NAIG legacy is a vital resource that not only provides a competitive opportunity for Aboriginal athletes, but also supports their long term development.”

AASF recipients will be awarded up to $2000 from an annual funding pool of $25,000. Requests for applications will occur three to four times a year, and the submission deadline for this first round is July 31, 2008. For specific information on application procedures, or to apply for the AASF, please refer to www.aboriginalsportcircle.ca.

The Aboriginal Sport Circle is Canada’s voice for Aboriginal sport and recreation, which brings together the interests of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples. The Aboriginal Sport Circle was created through a national consensus-building process, in response to the need for more accessible and equitable sport and recreation opportunities for Aboriginal peoples.

For Additional Information:
Anthony Sauvé
National Coordinator Coaching and Leadership Program
Unit 7, 34 McCumber Road North
Akwesasne, ON K2P 0L9
613-236-9624, ext 224
asauve@aboriginalsportcircle.ca