Parachute joins with Right To Play and Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care

TORONTO, Feb. 19, 2014– Parachute, Right To Play and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care today announced a multi-year program as a response to the high rate of preventable injury among Aboriginal youth in Ontario. Based on the expertise of Parachute, Right To Play’s PLAY (Promoting Life-skills in Aboriginal Youth) program will be enhanced to include injury prevention skills training to PLAY program implementers. Right To Play is currently partnered with over 50 First Nation communities and urban Aboriginal organizations in Ontario and Manitoba to deliver PLAY programming to 3300 children and youth. The program is youth-centric and includes leadership workshops, sport and recreational activities, volunteer opportunities, intergenerational community events, sport clinics and youth-led initiatives.

With funding from the Ministry, Parachute will identify best practices and design injury prevention programming that will be delivered directly into First Nation communities through PLAY. Parachute will also perform evaluations to measure success as input into the design of future programs for First Nations youth.

“Aboriginal youth experience very high rates of preventable injury and Parachute is committed to working collaboratively to change this situation,” said Louise Logan, President and CEO of Parachute. “We are pleased to partner with Right To Play and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care on this important initiative.”

“Right To Play is proud and excited to be partnering with Parachute, leaders in injury prevention. This new partnership will increase access to knowledge and skills needed in reducing preventable injuries among Aboriginal children, youth and communities. Together we aim to increase the health and well-being of Aboriginal children and youth,” stated Julia Porter, Deputy Director, Aboriginal Initiatives and Education at Right To Play.

“We are excited to team up with Parachute and Right to Play to help bring down rates of preventable injuries among First Nations youth in Ontario. This initiative will give communities the tools to spread awareness about injuries and help young people play safer,” said The Honourable Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

About Parachute

Parachute is a national, charitable organization dedicated to preventing injuries and saving lives. Parachute officially came into being in July 2012 and unites the former organizations of Safe Communities Canada, Safe Kids Canada, SMARTRISK and ThinkFirst Canada into one leader in injury prevention. Parachute’s injury prevention solutions, knowledge mobilization, public policy and social awareness efforts are designed to help Canadians reduce their risks of injury while achieving Parachute’s vision of an injury-free Canada where Canadians enjoy long lives lived to the fullest. See us on Twitter , or join us on Facebook .

About Right To Play

Right To Play is a global organization that uses the transformative power of play to educate and empower children facing adversity. Through playing sports and games, Right To Play helps one million children weekly in more than 20 countries to build essential life-skills and better futures, while driving lasting social change. Founded in 2000 by four-time Olympic gold medalist and social entrepreneur Johann Olav Koss, Right To Play is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Our programs are facilitated by over 600 international staff and over 13,500 volunteer Coaches. Programming in Canada includes the enhancement of education in priority schools, and the Promoting Life-Skills in Aboriginal Youth (PLAY) program. To learn more, visit www.righttoplay.ca and follow @RightToPlayCAN on Twitter and Facebook.

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Media Contacts

Karen Fricker, Parachute
647-776-5117
kfricker@parachutecanada.org

Ashton Lawrence, Right To Play Canada
416-203-0190, x 333,
alawrence@righttoplay.com

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