‍Edmonton, AB (December 13, 2021) – The Canada Basketball Foundation, KidSport Alberta, KidSport Edmonton and Alberta Basketball Association announced a multi-year partnership on Monday. The partnership includes the creation of the Bryan Anderson Memorial Fund, which will work to increase opportunities for self identified girls in families facing financial barriers to access basketball programs in Edmonton through subsidizing their registration fees.

Canada Basketball and KidSport Edmonton have each initially committed $10,000 to the fund with the goal of continuing to grow the funding available in subsequent years.

“Bryan Anderson was instrumental in creating the original basketball partnership between Canada Basketball, Alberta Basketball Association and the City of Edmonton that has not only seen the game grow exponentially across the city but also the rise of our Senior Women’s National Team to a program-best 4th in the FIBA World Rankings,” said Michael Bartlett, President & CEO of Canada Basketball. “By naming the fund in memory of Bryan, we hope to be able to honour his legacy for years to come by continuing to inspire the next generation of young girls to play the game of basketball.”

The Senior Women’s National Team has called the City of Edmonton home since 2013, regularly hosting training camps, competitions and community activities. This initiative provides yet another significant opportunity to further impact and connect with residents across Edmonton.

KidSport provides grants to help cover the registration costs so all kids aged 18 and under can play a season of sport, with KidSport Edmonton typically providing financial assistance to nearly 3,000 local children and youth each year.

"KidSport manages a fee assistance program that subsidizes sport registration fees for kids that come from families who face financial hardship, making the assist to help kids get from the bench onto the court,” said Dayna Hyman, KidSport Edmonton Executive Director. “As we get back to basketball post COVID-19 and registrations open across the province, this program will ensure that KidSport girls are provided with the opportunity to shoot some hoops and gain life experiences with their communities basketball team."

“We thank the Canada Basketball Foundation for their support and their interest in growing the game of basketball while helping our community's kids who need it the most,” Hyman said.

The Canada Basketball Foundation™ (CBF) is a registered charitable organization dedicated to growing all aspects of the game of basketball. Working directly with Canada Basketball, the Foundation aims to improve the health of the nation through basketball, provide a pathway for excellence for young athletes, and deliver dynamic basketball development that will result in international success.

Canada Basketball has also worked closely with the Alberta Basketball Association on a provincial level to keep young girls and women active and involved in basketball, as players, coaches and officials.

“The unique partnership between the City of Edmonton, Canada Basketball's Senior Women's National Team and the Alberta Basketball Association has touched the lives of many young women since 2013,” said Paul Sir, Executive Director, Alberta Basketball Association. “The ability to directly impact more girls in need and help encourage them to stay involved in basketball while enjoying the physical and emotional benefits of participating and competing in sport has been highly successful with our ongoing partnership with KidSport."

“Having the new fund be named in honour of Bryan Anderson is only fitting as he championed the opportunities for all youth throughout his life,” Sir said.

Through partnerships such as this, the Canada Basketball Foundation is committed to continuing to work towards increasing the inclusivity of our sport by not only creating additional ways to empower more women, but also removing any potential barriers to participation that may exist.

Help us grow basketball in Canada by investing in development programs that encourage and facilitate participation by all. Please contact KidSport Edmonton or Alberta Basketball Association to find out how to donate.