Winnipeg, MB - Councillor Russ Wyatt (Transcona) tonight announced the establishment of an endowment fund to support the Transcona Nationals Football Club, thanks to a generous $20,000 contribution from the Transcona Playground Renewal Association and with support from the City of Winnipeg and The Winnipeg Foundation.
The announcement was made at Transcona Optimist Park, home of the Transcona Nationals, before the start of the football club’s first-ever night game.
“The Transcona Playground Renewal Association has done a tremendous job renewing our neighbourhood parks and playgrounds,” said Councillor Wyatt. “Now, this $20,000 donation will create a lasting legacy for a very special football club -- for 101 years the Transcona Nationals Football Club has been a positive influence on our youth and families. I am pleased to see the team’s value to the community recognized in this way.”
“The Transcona Playground Renewal Association (TPRA) was created to encourage children to take part in outdoor recreation,” said Peter Martin, TPRA President. “It is wonderful to think that this donation of $20,000 will support a community sports organization that has made a difference in the lives of literally thousands of children and youth.”
The donation will be made to the City of Winnipeg and invested through The Winnipeg Foundation, which will manage the endowment through its Agency Fund program. The initial contribution of $20,000 will be augmented by The Winnipeg Foundation with a grant of $15,000. Once the endowment is established, the public will have an opportunity to also contribute to the fund.
“Through The Winnipeg Foundation’s Agency Fund matching program, charitable organizations can quickly grow their endowment funds,” said Rick Frost, Winnipeg Foundation CEO. “With community support, this endowment fund has real potential to flourish and support the Transcona Nationals Football Club for years to come.”
The Transcona Nationals Football club is a volunteer-driven organization that continues to grow. There are currently 400 players in the club, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2012.
“The Nationals have been a part of this community for over a century and we are thrilled to be recognized with the creation of this endowment,” said Cori Knapp, spokesperson for the Transcona Nationals Football Club. “The popularity of the game continues to grow and this endowment will allow the club to continue to develop its programs, and promote football to youth in Transcona and throughout the city.”
This is a continuation of the City of Winnipeg’s commitment to the Transcona Nationals Football Club youth volunteer program. In the last six years, the City has renewed the Transcona Nationals Clubhouse, expanded their football fields with the development of the terminator football field for younger football players, renewed and rebuilt their main field, and installed an underground irrigation system in both the main and terminator fields (youth field). This has amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars of public money into this much needed recreation infrastructure.