Port Hardy council agreed to give back and help out student athletes by awarding the Port Hardy Secondary School Senior Girls soccer team $500 for its recent trip to provincials, and three individual soccer athletes $100 each.
Jim Clair wrote a letter to council on behalf of his daughter, Kayley Clair, stating she will be travelling down island almost every weekend for the month of June to Comox Valley to train with her team, the Marine Harvest Upper Island Riptide U16 Girls, to get ready for provincials in July.
“The total cost per player will cover transportation to and from Vancouver, food, meals and high-quality supervision by trainers, technical staff and coaches and is estimated at $600 per player,” noted Clair.
Scott Harris also wrote in on behalf of his two daughters, Kaleigh and Madyson Harris, who play for the Marine Harvest Upper Island Riptide U18 girls team, requesting financial support as they both will also be going to provincials in July, stating, “If there is an opportunity for the district to support our youth of the North Island by providing financial assistance we would greatly appreciate it. The experience that the Riptide soccer has provided these girls is one that will last a lifetime and we would be proud to wave a large district flag at the provincials to show that a small town supports our youth and that we can produce phenomenal athletes.”
“Currently there’s about $1,636 of grant in aid type money that hasn’t been committed to anybody at this point — The three soccer girls have all been recipients of this funding in the past,” said Lynda Sowerby, Director of Finance, who added there’s a policy in place and the maximum the girls could be awarded is $250 each and the maximum a team could be awarded is $500.
“I would like to support the team for $500 — the maximum amount,” said Coun. Pat Corbett-Labatt.
Coun. Fred Robertson immediately agreed, backing up Corbett-Labatt’s statement.
Corbett-Labatt added it cost families a lot of money sending the team to provincials and she thinks the district should be chipping in to support them, also noting how well the team placed (sixth in the province).
“The commitment the girls and their coaches showed was quite remarkable,” said Robertson. “They were tremendous representatives of the District of Port Hardy.”
Robertson recommended council should also pay the three student athletes $100 each for their upcoming trip to provincials.
Council then voted, where it was unanimously decided that the district would financially support the team and the three student athletes for all their hard work and dedication.