More than 500 high school football players across Manitoba will be receiving new football helmets courtesy of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the team announced Tuesday.
The Bombers will be distributing 525 new helmets — 15 per school across the province’s 35 high school football teams — as part of the team’s ongoing youth football program.
Winnipeg Football Club president and CEO Wade Miller said the program has had an expanded reach this year with the help of the province’s Arts, Culture and Sport in Community Fund matching the team’s financial investment.
“The Blue Bombers donating 15 helmets per school is a massive support as helmets cost us around $425 each,” Oak Park Raiders head coach Chris Olson said in a release.
“Their support of equipment and camps for kids year-round helps us make it affordable for our kids to play.”
Miller told 680 CJOB’s The Start that the helmets will help not only Winnipeg high school players, but also the growing number in rural Manitoba as well.
“It continues to grow. There’s a great rural high school league, and also Steinbach and Portage la Prairie play in the city league as well,” Miller said.
“We want to grow it outside the perimeter. Being able to give 15 helmets is about 35 per cent of new helmets for each program, so it’s huge. It’s a big cost for each high school.”
The helmets are part of $300,000 in equipment donated by the club to youth programs this season.
Miller said the Bombers also recently wrapped up their annual youth football camps, getting between 1,500 and 2,000 kids participating in the sport throughout the year.
“Our belief is if you put a football in a kid’s hand, they’ll learn how to play with it,” he said.
“It’s the ultimate team sport…. It’s an inclusive sport — whether you’re 100 pounds or 350 pounds, there’s a spot for you on the field and you’re going to make a difference for your team.”