The Canucks for Kids Fund dedicates resources to assist charities who support children’s health and wellness, foster the development of grassroots hockey, and facilitate and encourage education in British Columbia.

Through a variety of programs in which Canucks players and employees participate, the team joins with Canucks fans and partner sponsors to raise funds.

The Canucks for Kids Fund raises awareness and funds through several charitable initiatives including: Canucks for Kids Fund 50/50, Dice & Ice Benefit presented by HSBC, Canucks Superskills presented by McDonald’s and the Canucks for Kids Fund Telethon presented by Chevrolet. The Canucks for Kids Fund also partners with the following key community charity events: YVR Golf for Kids, Special Olympics BC’s Sports Celebrities Festival, Raise A Reader and Eagles in the City.

The Canucks for Kids Fund donated $1.7 million to Canuck Place Children’s Hospice from funds raised during the 2007-2008 season. For over 15 years Canuck Place has provided child-focused and family-centred care for children with life-threatening illnesses. The Hospice provides 24-hour, 7-days-a-week care by nurses and physicians in addition to family care, end-of-life, pain and symptom management, school music and play therapy, recreation opportunities and counseling services. Since 1993, the Vancouver Canucks and the Canucks for Kids Fund have supported Canuck Place with over $18 million in funding.

Recognizing the increasing need to support BC families living with autism, the Canucks for Kids Fund donated nearly $650,000 to the Canucks Autism Network (CAN) in its first two years of operation. CAN enhances the quality of life for BC families living with autism by providing them with high quality recreational, sports, social and vocational development programs. Their in-school program, called We CAN Be Friends, seeks to encourage friendship, empathy and inclusion among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their peers and will be available in many BC schools this fall.

In addition to grants the Canucks for Kids Fund also supports key initiatives in the BC community. At the Canucks Family Education Centre located at Britannia Community Centre in East Vancouver, low-income children and families are assisted through four literacy initiatives. At the Canucks Centre for BC Hockey, players, coaches and administrators from around BC gain skills, growth and development through initiatives and programs delivered through the Centre. Fin’s Friends, a character education curriculum for primary students that is free to schools, integrates literacy and social skills at critical learning phases in over 300 classrooms across the province.

Looking for more stories and information about the Canucks for Kids Fund and the great work they do in our community? Click here to take a look at the latest Canucks for Kids Fund newsletter.

Canucks for Kids Fund 2008-2009 season Grant Recipients:

Grant	Recipient
$1.5 million	Canuck Place Children’s Hospice
$423,000	Canucks Autism Network
$110,000	BC Children’s Hospital Centre for Research in Childhood Diabetes
$100,000	Britannia Community Services
$65,000	BC Children’s Hospital Foundation – PCR machine
$60,000 over 3 years	Arts Umbrella for the Sarah McLachlan Summer Music Outreach Program
$50,000	Ronald McDonald House of BC
$20,000	Britannia Hockey Academy
$20,000	Templeton Dream Big Productions – Vancouver School District Foundation
$10,000	Province Empty Stocking Fund
$1,000	Literacy BC
$1,000	United Way of Prince George
$1,000	YWCA Crabtree Corner

Paolo Aquilini, President	Jamie Pitblado,Treasurer
Victor de Bonis, Vice President	Pamela Keith
Senator Larry Campbell	Dr. Paula Gordon
Megan Mitchell

Jon Festinger	Legal Counsel, Vancouver Canucks
Debbie Butt	Executive Director, Canucks for Kids Fund & Director, Community Partnerships, Vancouver Canucks
TC Carling	Director, Media Relations, Vancouver Canucks
Karen Christiansen	Manager, Community Partnerships and Events, Vancouver Canucks
Jessica Danylchuk	Coordinator, Community Partnerships, Vancouver Canucks
Tara Clarke	Assistant, Community Partnerships, Vancouver Canucks
Rod Brathwaite	Manager, Hockey Development, Vancouver Canucks
Sara Klassen	Accountant, Vancouver Canucks & Canucks for Kids Fund
Perry Bahniwal	Paralegal Assistant, Vancouver Canucks
Pat Bigonzi	Controller, Vancouver Canucks
Paul Buckley	Coordinator, Community Partnerships & Mascot Liaison, Vancouver Canucks
Todd Kobus	Vice President, Finance & CFO, Vancouver Canucks