The City of Grande Prairie is encouraging local athletes and coaches to consider applying for its Pursuit of Excellence Funding as the February 1st deadline quickly approaches.
The city explains the Pursuit of Excellence Fund is designed to provide assistance to athletes, coaches, and sports organizations during their journey to “excellence” in their chosen discipline.
Officials say the single greatest impact made on sports development comes from competent, enthusiastic coaches. As such, the highest priority is given to coach education, especially when that education is completed locally.
The second priority lies in the training and development of individual athletes. The city says funding will be given in situations where assistance is necessary to take the sport to “the next level.”
Sports volunteers and officials are also eligible for funding; however, they are prioritized third.
Eligible applicants must reside within a 100km radius of the city, from Beaverlodge to Crooked Creek, Peoria past Grovedale, and anywhere in between.
A total of eight funding streams are available including Athlete Travel Funding, the Bob Neufeld Scholarship, Athlete Development Funding, and others.
The Committee grants up to $42,500 each year to athletes, coaches, volunteers, and sports organizations; however, no single sport can receive more than 20 per cent of the annual budget for the grant.
Interested individuals can find a full list of funding streams, as well as application details on the city’s website.
