'Make it more accessible': Walk-a-thon raises awareness about importance of youth sports
Montreal sports lovers came together Saturday in the NDG borough to raise awareness about the importance of youth sports when it comes to mental health and community connection.
At the Power of Sports Walk-a-Thon, young athletes strolled alongside the likes of Alouettes quarterback coach Anthony Calvillo and pro basketball player Tevonn Walker.
The event raised over $125,000.
The funds will go to Montreal Community Cares, an organization that promotes youth sports, most known for its Red Rush basketball program.
Tevonn Walker has long been involved with Montreal Community Cares, joining the program when he was just 12 years old.
Since then, he's travelled the world playing basketball, and he credits community sports for making him the person he is today.
"When one door closes, a lot of people don't have any outlets to turn to," he told CTV News. "This program helps you make those doors open, build those relationships, and then all of a sudden you have choices, you have opportunity."
He hopes youth in NDG will have the same opportunities that were given to him through sports.
"Playing with Red Rush was kind of, was a way for me to build a family outside of my home."
RISE IN TEEN VIOLENCE
Sports were one of the first activities to be shut down when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Advocates say its ripple effects have been disastrous, with the province witnessing a sharp rise in youth violence.
Montreal saw at least five teens killed in youth-related violence over the past year and a half.
Volleyball plater Théjah Tavarez, who is a teen herself, said she and her friends are still healing.
"During the pandemic, a lot of teenagers started doing gang violence, guns shooting, all of that," she said.
"It was very emotionally tiring because I know we can be better than that."
In response to the violence, the City of Montreal has invested more than $7 million into youth programming and sports.
Denburk Reid, founder of Montreal Community Cares, wants the existed facilities to be renovated and, more importantly, for the programming to be made financially accessible to families.
"It's not about building something," he said."Rejuvenate a gym [...] but open it up to the community."
"Just make it more accessible."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.