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The Calgary Flames Foundation and Parks Foundation Calgary have teamed up to launch a massive support program to help local grassroots and amateur sports groups and organizations with fundraising efforts.

For every dollar raised, the Calgary Flames Foundation — through the Calgary Flames Support for Sport initiative — will match 50 per cent up to $5,000 per organization.

In total, the Calgary Flames Foundation, through its COVID-19 Community Support Program, will donate $200,000.

The cash infusion will help those local grassroots programs and amateur sports organizations in a big way, especially after many were impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier this year when COVID-19 struck the city, Sport Calgary reported that about half of all Calgary sports organizations feel they can only sustain operations for six months or less without further assistance.

“COVID-19 has impacted our city in so many ways,” said Sheila Taylor, the CEO of Parks Foundation Calgary in a joint news release from the Calgary Flames and Parks Foundation Calgary. “We believe that our city’s sports organizations are key to maintaining community connection, leadership and resiliency, and we wanted to ensure they could get the help they need.”