KidSport says Smile Cookie support will make a real difference for local kids

April 27, 2026, 2:42 pm
by Donnie Matichuk

This week during Smile Cookie week, from April 27 to May 3, funds raised at Tim Hortons in Moosomin will be donated to KidSport Whitewood, Moosomin and area. All proceeds from each Smile Cookie sold will go toward the program.
“KidSport is a program that supports low-income families with kids that want to play sports. We pay for the registration so that kids are able to participate even if there are economic barriers there. Our goal is to make sure that no kids are left out, and if they want to play, they can,” said Beth Oslund, President of the Moosomin-Whitewood chapter of KidSport Saskatchewan.

“Our chapter mostly covers Moosomin, Whitewood, and Rocanville, and has been around for 30 years. In the last year, it was 35 families that we helped put kids through into sports. That’s between swimming, football, figure skating, hockey, and soccer. Usually families are referred to us, and nowadays the application process is all online. We review it and if it’s approved, we pay for that registration fee,” she said.

KidSport was accepted to be a recipient of Smile Cookie proceeds this year, and Oslund says that they couldn’t be more appreciative for the support.
“I applied for our organization to be a recipient, and we got accepted this year. We applied and it took about a month before we were accepted.

“I’m hoping we do well in selling lots of cookies, and this would help tremendously, especially with the rising cost of registration fees in communities out here. It will help to put a lot more kids into sports and help us for a lot longer.”

With rising affordability costs, along with sports registration fees becoming more and more expensive, KidSport has seen a rise in families applying for support with getting their kids into clubs and programs.

“During Covid, the amount of families we helped went down because not as many kids were playing sports during that time. But since then I’m starting to get a lot more applications than I did before the pandemic. Especially in football, hockey, and figure skating—those are our big ones.”

The organization doesn’t just provide support for families with lower income, they also accept applications from multiple different groups that may be in need of help.

“We don’t just help low-income families, we also help newcomers to Canada, people with disabilities, and others that may be disadvantaged when it comes to sports,” says Oslund.

Getting kids out and active in a today’s world with all the available electronic entertainment is important, says Oslund, and KidSport is a part of making that happen for every family.

“It’s really important for kids to be able to get out there and be active. Every kid should be able to give a sport a try, and if there’s a financial barrier at home, some of them don’t get that option. We’re here so that everyone can play if they want to.”

A few professional athletes have even had their start in sports with help from a KidSport Saskatchewan grant.

“We have supported a few kids that have gone on to higher-level sports, and a few that have gone professional. KidSport has even helped start a future NHL player in hockey years ago,” says Oslund.

“If I see a kid that we helped out, it makes me happy to see the smile on my face and know that we supported them in doing what they love.”

Oslund says that she is hoping that everyone buying a Smile Cookie this week knows that their money is helping put a child into sports, and supporting their own community.

“Purchasing a cookie means that the money is going to a great organization, and that it’s staying in the area to support a kid. We don’t often get donations of this nature. We fundraise, but this kind of support is a first for us. It will definitely really help us out.”