Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid surprised a group of children at a new playground North York as part of an initiative to promote sports and help get kids off the sidelines.
The visit was organized by Jumpstart, a national charity dedicated to reducing financial and accessibility barriers to sports and recreation.
McDavid is an ambassador with the program and told CTV News Toronto that playing sports as a kid changed his life forever.
“Sports have done so much for me,” he said. “Not only on the ice, it’s off the ice stuff, it’s relationships you build with friends, its character traits you learn—responsibility, teamwork.”
McDavid spent about 30 minutes at Earl Bales Park, taking a turn on the slide and helping kids use the new swing set. He also signed autographs.
“It was so cool,” said Kyle Fitzpatrick, who was wearing a McDavid hockey jersey. “You never get to see him in person. I always watch him on TV. It was fun meeting him.”
According to a news release issued by Jumpstart on Monday, the program has helped about two million kids across the country participate in sport and recreation, including more than 130,000 in Toronto.
“Giving kids access to play and sport is almost a right of every child,” said Scott Fraser, president of Jumpstart. “And when you get that access, great things can happen.”
