CFL, nine member clubs donate over $4.5 million to grassroots football programs

Toronto Star

3 days ago

TORONTO - The CFL and its nine member clubs invested over $4.5 million into amateur football last year.
The league announced Friday that it and the nine franchises combined to donate $4,518,900 to grassroots football initiatives, projects and programs throughout Canada in 2024.
'The community involvement of the CFL, its clubs and players is something that sets us apart from other leagues,' said CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston. 'To be able, among all of the clubs in the league, to donate over $4.5 million is encouraging participation and exposure to the game and ultimately having kids fall in love with the sport.
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'That's wonderful for a number of reasons, one of which is the game of football teaches such great skills that can be applied to life.'
The CFL said it made 2,019 appearances last year, including 1,023 school visits, with players and staff spending 11,457 hours in communities and reaching more than 84,000 youth.
'Ultimately, football players become football fans,' Johnston said. 'We think we're going to be seeing them at the stadium cheering on their teams as well as watching at home on TV.
'It's a great strategy for us to be involved in the community, be great corporate citizens and develop new fans.'
Two of the CFL's initiatives included the Women in Football Program — which provides a platform for participants to develop skills at the professional level — and its partnership with Blackhawk Tires that raised $40,000 through the Touchdowns for Communities, a strategy that provides funding for provincial football organizations to grow female programs across Canada.
Among the team initiatives
- The Montreal Alouettes supported 50 charitable initiatives and organizations, including amateur football and flag teams.
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- The Ottawa Redblacks expanded to eight events with six to eight players attending each one to serve as guest coaches at the local minor football level.
- The Toronto Argonauts partnered with Football Toronto to create the Argos' equipment bank, a program that recertifies and safeties helmets for their entire 10-year lifespan, and loans them free of charge to high schools across the city. The club also awarded a $50,000 grant to the Ontario Women's Intercollegiate Football Association.
- The Hamilton Tiger-Cats' Play It Forward program provides Indigenous youth with opportunities centred around the game of football. The First On the Field Flag Football initiative allows youth from local schools to participate in flag football games at Hamilton Stadium.
- The Winnipeg Blue Bombers' football academy welcomed over 800 participants at no cost to develop skills and grow their football IQ. The team's Girls High School Flag Football League returned for a second season, expanding from 18 to 28 schools and over 300 participants with the franchise providing all the necessary equipment.
- The Saskatchewan Roughriders' North Sask Football Jamboree incorporates youth teams from across the province for a weekend of competition and skills development. The club's Grow the Game program involves grassroots football across Saskatchewan and introduces the game to non-traditional football communities.
- The Calgary Stampeders' rookie class hosts the Jr Stamps Camp for 500 youth at McMahon Stadium. And its Football 101 program features players travelling to school across the city during the off-season.
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- The Edmonton Elks' Junior High Flag Football League included 29 girls teams and 43 boys teams in association with Metro Athletics. The league ran for five weeks, and eight teams were ultimately showcased at halftime of a preseason game.
- The B.C. Lions introduced a new women's flag program, which included two clinics for women and girls aged 12 years and older. And in association with B.C. High School Football, community coaches worked with members of the Lions coaching staff.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025.