It’s a cool Saturday morning at the Petitcodiac Arena in rural New Brunswick, where young figure skaters are practicing for the final show of their season. Seated in the stands is, Cyndy Lewis, clutching a steaming cup of coffee as she watches her daughter spin, twirl, and glide across the ice with a blend of focus and pride.
It’s a typical scene that plays out at ice rinks across Canada during the winter, but one Cyndy never imagined herself in until she was introduced to KidSport. She describes it as the “best thing that ever happened” to her and her children.
KidSport is a national children’s program that helps kids overcome the financial barriers that prevent or limit their participation in organized sport. When Cyndy was a single mother of two, she applied for financial assistance through KidSport, which is administered under the lead agency of Sport New Brunswick (Sport NB).
The Medavie Foundation is a proud funder of Sport NB, a non-profit organization dedicated to the development and promotion of the amateur sport community. KidSport NB provides up to $400 annually per child for sport registration and/or the purchase of equipment.
“That little bit more made all the difference” said Cyndy, who with that money, second-hand skates, and skating outfit, was able to sign her daughter Jessica up for figure skating and register her son Dylan for ice hockey.
Having grown up in a single-parent household herself and having to sit on the sidelines of sports because of financial barriers, it brought tremendous joy to Cyndy to do this for her children. “I can’t put into words what that feeling was like. That was huge.”
Today, Cyndy is paying forward the help she received from KidSport NB by leading her local figure skating club as president. She’s also encouraging parents in similar situations to hers to apply to programs like KidSport so their children can participate. She does so with empathy, noting that “asking for help wasn’t something I would have ever done.” However, when she learned about the KidSport program and the opportunities it provides children and youth, she couldn’t pass it up.

“Stories like Cyndy’s show us how important initiatives like this are for families. Sport has such a lasting positive impact on kids, and we are just happy to support KidSport and Sport NB so more families like Cyndy’s can experience the joy of sport.”
- Andrea Elliott, Director of Social Responsibility, and the Medavie Foundation -