Partnering with the Canadian Olympic
Committee, the new 'CF Play Makers' program aims to inspire more
kids to get active and involved in sports, starting with upgraded
play spaces to schools across Ontario
TORONTO, July 4, 2024
/CNW/ - Cadillac Fairview and Team
Canada are expanding opportunities for play this summer with the
launch of "CF Play Makers," an initiative for school-aged children
to harness the power of sports and playtime.
In partnership with the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), the CF
Play Makers program is a commitment to help more kids have the
opportunity to experience the health benefits of physical activity
and inspire a passion for playtime and sports. As part of this
commitment, CF plans to build or refurbish play spaces for kids at
schools across Canada, starting in
Ontario, to ensure communities can
thrive by having the opportunity and space for unstructured
play.
"Our long-standing partnership with the COC is rooted in a
common goal of transforming communities through the power of sport,
and this starts with our youngest generation," said Jason Anderson, SVP, Brand & Marketing,
Cadillac Fairview. "Over the past
seven years, CF has partnered with the COC to grow and support the
Olympic movement in Canada and we
believe that play can fuel Canadians of all ages to do their best
and be their best."
"We're so happy to work with partners like Cadillac Fairview who share our Olympic values
and who really understand our mission to transform Canada through the power of sport," said
Jacqueline Ryan, Chief Brand and
Commercial Officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee and CEO of the
Canadian Olympic Foundation. "Through the Team Canada Impact Agenda
we are committed to making sport safe, inclusive and barrier-free
so more Canadians can play and stay in sport. That's why an
initiative like CF Playmakers is so impactful. As we get set to
cheer on Team Canada this summer in Paris, it's important to remember that access
to play truly is the first step on a young athlete's Olympic
journey."
The initiative is fuelled by a growing body of research showing
that children and youth in Canada
are increasingly inactive. More than 60 per cent of kids aged 5 to
17 in Canada are not meeting
national physical activity guidelines, according to recent data
from ParticipACTION, a national non-profit that advocates for
active living. Instead, kids may be swapping playtime for
screentime: more than 70 per cent of children exceed the maximum
amount of screentime guidelines of 2 hours daily, according to the
data.
Introducing CF 'Play Makers' with Team Canada
Nobody understands the importance of playtime and access to
sports like Team Canada athletes. To shine a light on the
importance of play, CF has partnered with Damian Warner and Ellie
Black, two Team Canada athletes who exemplify the passion
behind the power of sport.
"When kids play, we all win," said Damian Warner, a track and field athlete who won
gold in decathlon at Tokyo 2020.
"For many Team Canada athletes, myself included, playtime as
children and teens was formative in our athletic journey. We
wouldn't be where we are today without it."
"Every kid in Canada deserves
the opportunity to benefit from the power of play," said
Ellie Black, an artistic gymnast and
three-time Olympian. "The bonds that kids create and the trust and
creativity they develop through playtime, whether in sport or
otherwise, is invaluable."
Breaking new 'play'-ground
Playgrounds are the heartbeat of communities. Research shows
that they are also essential to children's health as spaces for
unstructured play, where they learn to bond, foster tolerance, and
develop trust and creativity.
That's why Cadillac Fairview is
planning to invest more in playtime through the ambitious
commitment to develop more play spaces for kids to get active and
engaged in sports. Through CF Play Makers, CF will build or
refurbish play spaces for kids starting with Don Mills Collegiate
Institute, Crescent Town Elementary School and West Glen Junior
Public School, with the goal to expand to other provinces.
"Every child in Canada should
have access to playtime," said Anderson. "As one of
Canada's leading real estate
owners, operators and developers, we understand what it means to
build iconic structures that reflect our communities and bring
people together, and that includes spaces for kids."
Join Team Canada at CF Toronto Eaton Centre
To raise awareness of the importance of play, CF and the COC are
launching an engaging activation at the CF Toronto Eaton Centre,
transforming Centre Court into a giant play space to encourage
adults and parents to bring back play into their lives and the
lives of our youth. Starting today, families across the GTA
are invited to come out and play on a new pop-up slide at the
shopping centre. The slide will be operating starting on
July 4 until July 26, free of charge for both kids and
adults.
- Date: Thursday, July 4,
2024
- Time: Open during shopping centre hours
- Location: CF Toronto Eaton Centre, level three near
Lululemon
For more information, please visit cfplaymakers.ca.
About Cadillac
Fairview
Cadillac Fairview (CF) is one of
the largest owners, operators, investors and developers of
best-in-class office, retail, multi-family residential, industrial
and mixed-use properties in North
America.
Wholly owned by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, with assets
under management of more than $30
billion, CF manages over 36 million square feet of leasable
space at 69 landmark properties across Canada, including Toronto-Dominion Centre, CF
Toronto Eaton Centre, Tour Deloitte, CF Carrefour Laval, CF Chinook
Centre and CF Pacific Centre.
Driven by its purpose of Transforming Communities for a Vibrant
Tomorrow, CF is continually striving to make a positive impact in
communities where it operates by promoting social connection,
growth, and a sustainable future. Visit cadillacfairview.com for
more information.
SOURCE Cadillac Fairview