Recycled sports equipment becoming popular in Yorkton and Lumsden areas

Yorkton, Sask. -

Going strong since 2011, the Yorkton Sports Bank at the Gallagher Centre allows people to donate and collect gently used sporting equipment for youth in the city and surrounding area.

“We have a room in the Gallagher Centre that’s filled with all types of sporting equipment,” explained Janine Graves, District Dream Broker for the City of Yorkton.

 “We’ve got figure skates, hockey skates, baseball cleats and gloves, and a lot of soccer gear.”

With families struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living, Graves said the use of the facility has been more common than ever.

“It’s great for families who can’t afford (new equipment), they can just make an appointment with me, come down, and we can try some of the stuff,” she said.

“It’s also great for families whose kids are just outgrowing the equipment so fast that it’s hard to keep up with the ever changing skate sizes and other equipment.”

Alana Patzwald, a parent whose children play various sports, said the sports bank has helped her family greatly.

"We didn't really know about the Sports Bank before he was little, but now it's fine to try a new sport. You can come and get equipment, all that he needs, it really helps offset our costs,” Patzwald said, referring to her son who wanted to play Lacrosse for the first time.

“Let’s say we could afford to go get new equipment, but does everyone really want to do that? If you’ve only used it for a year or two, why not give it to the Sports Bank and exchange it for other kids who want to try a new sport, but don’t have time to invest in the type of equipment for it, especially when kids are always trying new things.”

Graves mentioned that staff from the Yorkton Sports Bank will be present at the community’s Activity Expo on Aug. 21.

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 “We’ll have a table set up where families can come try on some equipment,” Graves explained. “There will be a ton of other booths set up too, parents can learn about all the different sports that Yorkton offers.”

Donations of new or gently used equipment is always welcomed, Graves added, and can be dropped off at the red bins located at the Gallagher Centre, the Kinsmen Arena, as well as BGC Yorkton.

Other communities trading sports gear

A group of parents in Lumsden also started their own initiative by hosting their second Sports Equipment Exchange night, scheduled for Aug. 28.

“We felt so many of our children here were active, our adults were active, but not all of us have the right sports equipment so instead of going out and buying new equipment we thought well, why not put on an exchange,” explained community volunteer Brittany McGeough of Lumsden.

“It worked out really well last year and we thought that every year that we do it, we want to build on it. That’s why this year we’ve added a rec and culture night with the sports equipment exchange. Everyone can come to see what programs the town has to offer, whether it’s dance or a church community.”

McGeough said the idea has developed to recycling other items that children can use as well.

"These events snowball into other events like the toy exchange, I know there's another group of moms who put on a clothing exchange so we're helping our pocket books as well as the landfill,” she said.

Any leftover equipment from the event will be donated to the Ehrlo Sport Venture Library in Regina, which is an organization that lends equipment to inner city youth.

"Children tend to grow out of things so quickly nowadays so it really just makes sense to exchange sporting equipment instead of buying everything new,” McGeough expressed. “Not only does it help us economically, it also helps the environment and our community."