Big golf partners

Posted By MURRAY GREEN/Sun Media

Posted 7 months ago

Alberta Health Service Addictions and partners of the Mental Health Capacity Building in Schools projects joined together to make golfing possible for six Camrose children.

This partnership is a unique and collaborative approach to school-based mental health promotion and early intervention.

The Children’s Health and Mentorship Program (CHAMP) is one of 32 pilot projects in a province-wide Mental Health Capacity Building in Schools ini-tiative. The Alberta Health Service Addictions and Mental Health board, in partnership with Alberta Education, health regions and other partners and community agencies, leads the initiative, with funding from Alberta Health and Wellness. The overall aim of these projects is to build resiliency skills in children, youth and families, and to support and encourage children and youth to stay in school and succeed. All of the projects are pilot sites at this stage. Projects are developed based upon the unique needs of the children, families and communities.

“Through a provincial evaluation of these projects, data will be collected and analyzed to evaluate their effectiveness,” said Nola Sharp, program coordinator and supervisior at Sparling School. “It is through this project that three of the student’s names were submitted to the Kids Can project and were accepted.”

The other three students were selected through the Camrose Boys and Girls Club program coordinator, Trish James.

Through the Golf For Kids program, the students received new Calaway golf clubs and bag, as well as lessons from Camrose Golf Course pros Bill Penny and Aaron Cook.

Thanks to the program, Everly McGhie, Kennedy Balcom, Garret Simpson, Mackenzie White, Tanner Smith and Tassa Smith have the opportunity to participate in a sport they otherwise might not have been able to. The 11 and 12-year-olds also received junior golf passes for the season.