May has been a great month for more Cruisers athletes participating in sports and tournaments, both at home, and on the road!
A very important call for volunteers! We need a couple volunteers to help with the Para Ice Hockey try-it this Friday from 6-9pm at Susan Fennell Sportsplex (formerly South Fletchers)! Please contact Ken at paraicehockey@cruisers-sports.com.
Beacham Summer Fun Day
Beacham Summer Fun Day registration is now open!! Please follow the link below to register for a fun-filled day at Windreach Farm! Looking forward to seeing you all there on August 7th!
https://cruiserssports.wildapricot.org/event-4832719
Scholarship - Alexander J. Szerenyi Award
We are incredibly fortunate to once again be able to offer the Alexander J. Szerenyi Award.
The Alexander J. Szerenyi Award is open to members of Cruisers Sports who meet ALL of the following criteria:
Alex was a long-time coach with the Cruisers – and still a current Cruisers Super Fan and supporter! This incredible $3000 scholarship award goes a long way to help with education related expenses.
See the past winners online: www.cruisers-sports.com/events/banquet/awards.shtml#alex
Cruisers Boccia Program Receives Jumpstart Grant
Earlier this year, Cruisers' Boccia program was selected to receive a Community Development Grant from Canadian Tire Jumpstart. We are grateful to receive this funding that will be used to supplement rental fees, equipment and other program costs. Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities is committed to ensuring kids in need have equal access to sport and recreation. The grant comes at a perfect time, as the 2022 Boccia season is back in person and now underway. Register now to join us Mondays from April to November.
www.cruisers-sports.com/sports/boccia.shtmlBrampton Accessibility Week
Cruisers will be heavily involved with Accessibility Week in Brampton running May 30-June 4, 2022.
Spread the word and join us for a Wheelchair Basketball Try-It on Monday and Para Ice Hockey on Friday.
We will round off the week with a booth at the Resource Fair on Saturday and host a Para Athletics Try-It on Sunday during our Cruisers Classic meet at Terry Fox Stadium.
Full details and all events online: www.brampton.ca/EN/residents/Recreation/Pages/Accessible-Sports-Week-.aspx
Handcycle Winner
Cruisers Classic Track & Field Meets
Cruisers joining the ParticipACTION Community Better Challenge this June
Volunteers at Throws
With track and field season in full swing, we are looking for some volunteers to help retrieve implements at our para throws practices. Practices are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30pm - 7:00pm and Sundays from 10:00am - 12:00pm at the Flower City Community Campus in Brampton. Volunteers will be required to retrieve implements (shot puts, discus, and javelins) from the in-field and bring them back to the seated throws athletes, with implement weights ranging from 600g up to 4kg. If you are interested in helping out at practices, please contact Director of Para Athletics Lisa Myers at paraathletics@cruisers-sports.com.
ParaSport Games
The para athletics competition saw 31 athletes competing, 13 of which were from Cruisers Sports! Highlights from the meet include a new Canadian Record in the Women's F34 Seated Discus by Joanne Lee and two of our new wheelchair racers, Tai Young and Candice Combdon, competing in their first track meet ever! Congratulations to all our Cruisers Sports medal winners and to a successful first meet of the season by all!
Great Turnout for Cruisers Sports at the Abilities Expo Show
Cruisers Sports was excited to participate in the Abilities Expo that took place May 13 & 14 at the International Centre. Volunteers showcased a variety of sports programs at the booth over two days. Cruisers also hosted a Multi-Sports demonstration on Saturday during the Show's events area, introducing new participants to a variety of recreational games. Overall a great event that we are hopeful will lead to new athletes in all our programs.
TL;DR
Alexander J. Szerenyi Award scholarship is open again for 2022 – apply before June 30th. Volunteers needed for Throws practices. BSFD registration now open! Check us out at Brampton Accessibility Week. Cruisers joining the ParticipACTION Community Better Challenge this June. Volunteers needed THIS FRIDAY! Stay safe, and have fun!
Our friends at Camp Awakening have asked us to help spread the word.
Camp Awakening has been running outdoor overnight summer camp programming for campers with physical disabilities focused on adapted activities and mobility support for 40 years!
We wished to connect with you about some spaces we are still trying to fill. Below are the camps with the most availability. I would be so grateful if you could share this information with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much in advance!
Boys Session 2 (ages 14-16): Friday, July 15 – Thursday, July 28
Boys Session 4 (ages 8-12): Monday, August 15 – Sunday, August 21
Girls Session 1 (ages 16-18): Friday, July 1 – Saturday, July 16
Girls Session 2 (ages 14-16): Sunday, July 17 – Thursday, July 28
Girls Session 3 (ages 13-15): Monday, August 1 – Saturday, August 13
Leaders-in-Training (ages 18-24): Sunday, June 26 – Saturday, July 2 (please note: the LIT program is a hybrid camp beginning online at the end of May)
For more information, please visit them online: https://campawakening.com
Check out the whole newsletter for a chance to win an incredible prize, but first, an update on our Return to Sport policy: the Board of Directors has voted to align our mask and vaccine policies with the respective governing bodies for the sports we participate in.
What does that mean?
If you ARE required by your governing body (ie. OCPSA, ONPara, etc.) to show proof of vaccination to participate in sport, any Cruisers-run event (practice, tournament, etc.) will follow the same conditions. The same applies to masking.
For example:
If you do not have to show proof of vaccine, but are required to wear a mask while not competing, the same will apply at our events. This applies to both participants and spectators.
For any multi-discipline Cruisers-run sporting or social event, the strictest policy will apply. Please note: at the time of writing, this means proof of vaccine will be required, and if not otherwise stated, masking would be subject to the facility hosting.
As public health agencies continue to recommend being fully vaccinated, so does the Board of Directors. If you have any questions about how this applies to a specific event, contact your coach or sport director. Information on event policies will be included with tech packages or registration info for Cruisers-run events.
SAVE THE DATE – Cruisers Classics:
In addition to the Ontario ParaSport games in May, the Cruisers will be hosting our Para Athletics meets in Brampton on June 4th, and in Toronto on July 17th. At the June 4th Cruisers Classic we will be hosting a try-it for those interested in trying Para-Athletics.
Para-Athletics practices have now resumed!
New for 2022: we now offer ambulatory running!
Check out the schedule on the club calendar, or contact Lisa for more information!
SAVE THE DATE – Beacham Summer Fun Day:
Beacham Summer Fun Day will once again be returning to Windreach Farms on August 7th. Shawn will have more information shortly!
The last virtual Multi-sports day is May 18th!
Scholarship – Alexander J. Szerenyi Award
We are incredibly fortunate to once again be able to offer the Alexander J. Szerenyi Award.
Alex was a long-time coach with the Cruisers – and still a current Cruisers Super Fan and supporter! This incredible $3000 scholarship award goes a long way to help with education related expenses.
The Alexander J. Szerenyi Award is open to members of Cruisers Sports who meet ALL of the following criteria:
See the past winners online: www.cruisers-sports.com/events/banquet/awards.shtml
Boccia!
Cruisers Boccia Season has commenced. We have a fun filled season planned and would love to have you join us. Our practices run Mondays 6:30pm-7:30pm for recreation and 6:30pm-8:00pm for competitive at Carmen Corbasson Senior Centre. Hope to see you there.
Our Boccia Program Thanks Jumpstart
Cruisers is excited to share that earlier this year, our Boccia program was selected to receive a Community Development Grant from Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart program. This grant will go a long way towards helping us supplement the cost of the program rental fees, equipment costs and other expenses. We are grateful to have been selected.
Cruisers Sports Schools Program
The Schools Program is up and running again. It is a great introduction to Wheelchair Basketball during your gym class! Spread the word -- share the webpage with your school: www.cruisers-sports.com/sports/schoolsprogram.shtml
Cruisers In Action!
Draw for a handcycle
We’ve been donated this used handcycle from someone affiliated with Cruisers long ago and will do a draw for a member to win it!
This contest is open to Cruisers members in good standing (log into Wild Apricot and make sure all your fees are paid up!) Just reply to this email to enter, and let us to that you’d like to enter – it’s that simple. We will do a draw over Facebook Live to pull the name of the winner from all received entries.
The fine print:
TL;DR
Alexander J. Szerenyi Award scholarship is open again for 2022 – apply before June 30th. We’ve updated our vaccine policies. Cheer on your fellow Cruisers at the Ontario ParaSport Games across Mississauga, May 13-15th. Dates announced for the Cruisers Classics and the Beacham Summer Fun Day. We received a great grant from Jumpstart for our Boccia program. Win a handcycle (but not Ken). Stay safe, and have fun!