This year that we are having will not be soon forgotten. It seems everything has been flipped on its head, and us, as a society have had more time to reflect, and prioritize what’s important in our lives.
When I think of importance in my life, I think of family, community, and working towards the right thing for our society for the future.
As the Coronavirus began to hit us in April, all I knew was that RainCity Basketball had to do something to adjust to the changing times. That notion was eventually turned into our online training program RainCity Live.
As we were discussing how it would work, why it’s important, and the price of the program, it became overwhelmingly clear that we didn’t want to profit off of a vulnerable situation. Everyone has been hit hard by the pandemic, and shutdowns; EVERYONE. Then that turned into, “what can we do to help?”
We committed to volunteering our time and donating 100% of our profits from RainCity Live until June 5th to the Backpack Buddies, a local organization that works hard to get healthy food to families in need. With schools closed due COVID-19 so too were all the schools meal programs, the after school cares meal programs, and other youth center services. The BackPack Buddies faced a huge challenge; the need was even greater. They have been feeding over 1500 families in the Lower Mainland every single day since the lockdown.
I am proud to announce that we were able to raise $2000 to help with the Backpack Buddies mission, and also follow ours at the same time. I want to thank all the families who are participating in our program, those who donated on their own volition, and to Pender Litigation; one of our local sponsors who also will be adding to the total amount. We couldn’t have done any of this without your hard work, dedication to your craft, and support for your community.
Going forward, we will be continuing RainCity Live on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6PM. The return to sport in the summer and fall is looking very unlikely, with U Sports announcing they will not be competing at least until 2021; we expect all other competition in BC, and Canada to follow suit. Online live training is definitely the safest way to train. We have been at it for 7 weeks now. We have developed an elite curriculum that can be done with or without a hoop, and it's a great way to workout, a great way to stay connected, and a great way to get better.
As coaches for RainCity Basketball, we appreciate the hard work our hoopers have been putting to stay sharp during this time, and moving forward. The hoopers who are in the training sessions are improving so quickly, and it’s all being done from home. We are very proud of all of you (you know who you are!)
There is another global movement happening right now that is very important to all of us at RainCity Basketball.
As protests have been happening around the world for the Black Lives Matter movement and fight for justice sparked by more brutal acts of police brutality, we want to join this fight as many of us do. We believe in this fully and we can not let this momentum fade away.
We will be making it a focus to support the black community, and black owned businesses in Vancouver in the future. We believe in equality for everyone regardless of skin colour, we believe we need to support each other, and we know this is the time to act, to listen, and to speak up. More details will be announced on our plans for action.
It is important that we all keep moving forward as this year continues to push us all. I hope you remain vigilant in your journey through this incredibly significant year. You never want to have regrets, and when a time in history like this comes up, or any opportunity to do the right thing, you don’t want to think about what you could have done, or should have done. A global pandemic, civil rights movement, massive societal change and unrest; we will remember this time forever and it will remember us for how we responded. What did we do to leave this world in a better place for our kids?
Do your best to do the right thing, work hard at your passions, and let’s continue to make the world a better place.