What we heard today from Lil Vagnini

SooToday.com has received the following announcement from Lil Vagnini, constituency assistant for Sault MPP David Orazietti:

********************** Orazietti announces funding for Sault YMCA

Sault Ste. Marie YMCA to receive $20,857 to create physical activity plans

(Sault Ste. Marie) - The YMCA of Sault Ste. Marie will receive $20,857 through the Communities in Action Fund grant to create physical activity plans in our community, David Orazietti, MPP announced today.

The Communities in Action Fund grant total of $322,142 will assist the YMCA in Sault Ste. Marie as well as eight other YMCA’s across Ontario to develop community-wide physical activity plans by September 2005.

"Our government's commitment to provide funding through a Communities in Action grant will create opportunities for physical activity and community sport and recreation in our city," said Orazietti.

"The YMCA is a first-rate organization in our city and is playing a leading role in helping our community become more physically active and healthy."

The multi-year $5.2 million Communities in Action Fund invests in new initiatives that increase Ontario's physical activity and sport participation rates.

The fund helps local and provincial not-for-profit organizations provide more community sport and recreation projects.

Priority is given to projects that benefit under-served groups like older adults, children and youth, girls and women, persons with disabilities, Aboriginal people, those in low-income categories and visible and ethnic minorities.

"For over 100 years, our YMCA has helped members of our community to lead healthy, active lives," said Tony D’Agostino, Chief Executive Officer of the Sault Family YMCA. “This grant will enable us to bring together a variety of organizations in a community-wide collaboration to develop the ideas, partnerships and programs that will extend to more people the many benefits of being physically active.”

The Communities in Action Fund is part of ACTIVE 2010, Ontario's new strategy to increase physical activity and sport participation throughout Ontario. The goal of the program is to have 55 per cent of Ontarians physically active by the year 2010.

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