Canadian Sport Centre Manitoba – Media Advisory: True Sport Initiative Launches in Manitoba

Winnipeg, MB – Seven local organizations have joined together to launch True Sport Lives Here Manitoba, an initiative aimed at responding to the negative public perception of sport. This comes following the 2015 Attack on Sport Forum at the University of Winnipeg, which explored challenges facing the province’s sport community amid increasing reports of bullying, harassment and doping, and national studies showing declining participation in sports due to related factors. 
 
“We looked for a campaign that would clearly promote the positive benefits of sport,” said Calvin Hawley, vice president of Baseball Manitoba, “one that would engage all sports throughout Manitoba and whose success could be measured. We didn’t have to look very far to find True Sport.”
 
True Sport is a nationwide movement that empowers communities and sports-related groups – from grassroots to high performance – to combat the negative perception and act on their positive beliefs about what good sport can do. To achieve this, True Sport promotes seven principles related to fairness, excellence, inclusion and fun. 
 
Media is invited to a launch event for True Sport Lives Here Manitoba with photo/video and interview opportunities on May 17.
 
A digital media kit with assets (press release, videos, information sheets) will be available at www.cscm.ca/true-sport-lives-here-manitoba following the event.
 
WHEN
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
11:00 a.m. CT
 
WHERE
Sport for Life Centre
145 Pacific Ave, Winnipeg
 
WHO
Baseball Manitoba, Calvin Hawley
Canadian Sport Centre Manitoba, Jeff Powell
City of Winnipeg, Gary Swanson
Manitoba Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Council, Mel Whitesell
River East Transcona School Division, Brian Hatherly
Sport Manitoba, Jeff Palamar, Greg Guenther and Laurel Read
True Sport, Karri Dawson and Kasey Liboiron
University of Winnipeg, Glen Bergeron
Members-at-large: Karen Ferris, Veralyn Warkentin

CONTACTS
Jeff Powell
General Manager, Canadian Sport Centre Manitoba
204-474-7148 | jeff@cscm.ca

Greg Guenther
Senior Manager Sport Development, Sport Manitoba
204-925-5695 | greg.guenther@sportmanitoba.ca

Kasey Liboiron
Project Manager, True Sport
613-521-9533 ext 3219 | kliboiron@truesportpur.ca

Glen Bergeron
Acting Dean, Gupta Faculty of Kinesiology and Applied Health, University of Winnipeg
204-786-9190 | g.bergeron@uwinnipeg.ca