Free Sport For Growth held another sports equipment giveaway at Cockshutt Park on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
The non-profit organization, which was founded by Dave Levac and Ross Enslev in early 2023, raises money to supply sports equipment and promote outdoor activities for local youth.
“The idea is simply to provide sporting equipment for the community so kids can get outside and play,” said Enslev. “When we started, the thought was really, ‘When they go to the parks to have fun, they’ll have equipment they need and then if they want to join a sport, there are programs like the Arnold Anderson Sport Fund to help pay for their house league sport.”
He said the whole premise of the organization is to ensure kids have the chance to grow from being involved in an activity.
“I think we all know that when you’re part of something, whether it’s sports, Scouts, Girl Guides or even a drama club, you’re gaining life skills,” said Enslev. “That’s why we’re called Free Sport For Growth, because that’s what we’re trying to do, we’re trying to give these kids a chance to grow; we’re trying to do our part in making the community a little bit of a better place and develop better citizens.”
Thanks to the donations of people and corporations in the community, Enslev said the group has already helped provide equipment to around 3,000 children since they first started.
During the first hour of the Saturday morning event, more than 20 children had already stopped in with an accompanying adult in search of sporting gear.
From soccer balls to footballs, basketballs, hockey sticks, helmets and skates, shin pads, cleats, baseball gloves and more, there were hundreds of pieces of equipment available.
Catherine and Ron Gonzales, who were there with their 13-year-old daughter, said that they thought the Free Sport For Growth giveaways were great for children who are trying out a new sport.
“Our daughter took a liking to playing soccer more than a year ago, and so this is actually the third time we’ve been able to get something from one of these events,” said Catherine. “Today she got a soccer ball and a really nice pair of cleats, and because they’re playing football in school, she also got a ball so she can practice at home too.”
The mother went on to say that she appreciated the giveaways not only for the financial benefit of families but because of the sustainability aspect too.
“Sports are expensive and the kids grow so fast, so I think it’s really helpful in cutting costs for families, especially during the off-season when they still need to practice,” continued Catherine. “I also like it because I’m an advocate for sustainability and so it’s nice that a lot of this pre-loved equipment isn’t going straight to the landfill and can be used again.”
Having seen the impact the giveaways have had on the community, Enslev said the organization is now working to provide a space for children to play, specifically an open-air ice rink for Ward 4’s Conklin Park.
“We’ve gotten to the phase now where we’re going to provide a facility for free play. I’m a big believer in community activities and neighbourhood pride. There’s just something about meeting other kids from different neighbourhoods, playing against them and getting to learn new life skills,” he said. “So at the facility we’re building in Conklin Park, there’s going to be an opportunity over the course of a week for an average of four hours a day for free play. We’re really hoping it will not only reintroduce neighbourhood sports, but also give kids the opportunity to just get started with something new.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
