Aurora partners with You Can Play to promote Inclusivity in Sports
Aurora, ON – The Town of Aurora is proud to announce its partnership with the You Can Play Project becoming the first municipality in Canada to sign this agreement. This collaboration underscores the Town’s commitment to inclusivity and equality in sport and recreation, focusing on safety and inclusion for all participants, including LGBTQ2S+ athletes, coaches, officials, administrators and fans.
“This agreement symbolizes our Town’s dedication to inclusivity and equality in sports. By emphasizing the talents and efforts of our athletes and coaches, we can create a supportive and welcoming environment for all,” said Mayor Tom Mrakas. “We are extremely proud to take this step forward and we look forward to the positive impact this partnership will have on our sporting community.”
The You Can Play team presented a delegation to Mayor Mrakas and Council this evening to talk about the partnership and the benefits to the Town.
Kurt Weaver, Chief Operations Officer of You Can Play, added, “We are proud to partner with the Town of Aurora to support their efforts in making sport inclusive. This partnership will bring our 12 years of expertise in professional and community sports to Aurora, enhancing their initiatives.”
The You Can Play Project emphasizes a person's skills, work ethic, and competitive spirit, rather than their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. Through this partnership, we aim to build an inclusive community where everyone feels valued and respected.
.jpg "From left to right: Robin McDougall, Director of Community Services, Kurt Weaver, Chief Operations Officer of You Can Play, Mandy Cronin, Head of Corporate Partnerships & Fundraising of You Can Play and Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas.")
This partnership includes many benefits to the Town such as comprehensive staff training sessions to support inclusion in sport, evaluation examination of policies to ensure they are inclusive and supportive of LGBTQ2S+ athletes, support for LGBTQ2S+ initiatives, enhanced support for local sporting organizations and education sessions to increase awareness of LGBTQ2S+ issues in sports.
Training and education sessions are set to launch in Fall 2024, with details to be posted at aurora.ca/SportWorkshops. For more information on this partnership or on the Town’s diversity and inclusion sporting initiatives, please visit aurora.ca/SportResources.
Corporate Communications | 365-500-3083 | communications@aurora.ca
You Can Play Communications | 614-507-0222 | kurt@youcanplayproject.org