Right to Play's Youth to Youth Program, supported by TUF 50/50

Today's Play Day was fantastic and we appreciated your efforts and partnership in providing this wonderful opportunity for cooperative games and a sense of team amongst our grades 1-5 students.  The weather also cooperated by remaining nice and sunny and this made for a remarkable day of sports for our students.  Thank you MLSE Team Up Foundation, Right to Play and Runnymede CI!

The Right to Play program went very well!  We can see that students have developed a very good attitude around non-competitive play, cooperative games and the playground has become a very organized and cooperative space for peaceful play among the students.  The students are enjoying the Right to Play program and there is a waiting list of students at our school who are eagerly waiting to participate in this initiative. 

Gary Pieters, Vice Principal, George Syme Community School

Trinity Bellwoods Rink Refurbishment

I have been playing family shinny with my 3 sons at Trinity Bellwoods rink every Sunday morning. I’m terrible, but the rink and new change rooms you guys did are amazing. We’ve been using the rink for years but this year is so much better!

Lindsay Oughtred
Executive Director
Kids Up Front Foundation Toronto

Kids Thrilled with Ticket Donation to Skills Competition

Giving away those Maple Leafs Skills Competition tickets took no time at all.  Thanks so much for the opportunity.  Our families are really excited to go, and we also found several hopeful young hockey players who really want to see the Skills Competition and I think maybe pick up some tips from watching the players up close!

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your continuing support, you always think of us whenever these ticket opportunities come up and it's such a joy for me to be able to give our social workers the happy task of asking families if they'd like to go - and then witnessing the family's excitement at having such an exciting and unique outing together that they would never ordinarily be able to experience - so the joy spreads as you can see!

Catherine Hinton, Executive Director, Peel Children's Aid Foundation

Camp Trillium Awareness Night - Leafs

Dear Maple Leaf’s Team Up Foundation and the season ticket holders,

It's truly an amazing night for us. Not only did we get to sit in the front row seats, but also for my husband to be there with us, going to the game as a family. Camp Trillium is all about kids and families. They are committed to provide support and recreational experiences to bring joy to children with cancer and their families. We’ve been with Camp Trillium since 2006. It’s like a big family for us. Going to camp every year is the most exciting events for our family. Even when my son was going through chemo, we knew we could count on Camp Trillium to give him the safe environment and all the joys. As a family, we could be there with him and have all the fun we couldn’t otherwise.

This time, when I asked Fiona from Camp Trillium about wheelchair access to the game, I totally didn't expect to get it. But when she emailed me on Friday night that they got a ticket for us, I understand so many people must have worked hard behind scenes to make my last minute request happen. When we got there tonight, all the staffs were so friendly and helpful. We were really touched. My kids were hugging the Carlton bear to sleep tonight. Thank you Leafs! It's a great thing you are doing for us and for Camp Trillium! We wish more kids and more families like us can count on your support!

You are our team, Leafs! We love you!

Go Leafs Go!!!
The Fu Family

Camp Trillium Awareness Day – Raptors

We attended the Raptors game today at the ACC. Let me tell you one word to sum up the whole experience - PHENOMENAL!!! It was very well organized and thanks to the generosity of MLSE Foundation and the season ticket holders, we had exceptional seats. My daughter Mahima (8 years) had a blast, as well as my other kids. She was so excited to go on Centre Court to 'Hi-5' the players.

Please convey our sincere gratitude to MLSE organization for arranging this for families like us who are going, or have gone, through a very tough phase in their lives with the sickness of their kids. It provided us with sometime away from treatments and worries of the meds and other issues.

Thanks and regards,
Pukhraj Mathur
(Mahima's dad)

O’Connor Community Centre Court Refurbishment Celebration

Thought a compliment was in store for the Team Up Foundation on the first class effort put forth to rebuild the O'Connor Community Centre.

Laura and I have had the privilege of being your guests at Tip Off dinners and Golf tournaments and this was the first opportunity to see the real work you do within the community itself. It confirmed for me why it is and has been so easy to support your organization even when the basketball team was going through its ups and downs the past few years.

Best wishes for your continued success.

Laura and Michael Todd, cookielovers.com

O’Connor Community Centre Court Refurbishment

"Today I learned that anyone can be successful in life no matter where you are from, and I finally have a place where I feel like I belong.” That quote is from one of the over 70 youth that attended the re-opening of the newly renovated O'Connor Community Center.

Held in conjunction with the Team Up Foundation, the experience gave youth and community members the chance to see the newly renovated O'Connor Community Center and also had the chance to meet and interact with members of the Toronto Raptors basketball team and local politicians. The Team Up Foundation partnered with the City of Toronto.

The importance of the physical appearance of a community center should not be minimized. A building that is attractive and responds to and is consistent with the design and context of the neighborhood, builds a sense of pride and ownership among youths, adults, and the community. The exterior should complement the neighborhood and reflect the community's values. The interior should enhance the learning process.

As a former resident of the community and a former participant of the O'Connor Community Center, I have seen not only the community center go through some changes but also the community as a whole. There are a lot more youths with nothing to do and "hanging around" has become a norm for the youth. But now that the community center has received an upgrade, the word on the street is "lets go to the center"! The youth once again have a place that they are proud to call their own. They have a newly renovated gymnasium, weight room, and a new and improved 'youth lounge’ that includes a ping pong table, 32 inch tv with the X-Box and Ps2 game system. The highlight of the lounge is a 60inch flat screen TV that was donated by the Toronto Team Up Foundation.

Now as a staff member at the community center I am proud to see the increase in youth and youth initiative projects that have been started since our re-opening. The community has surely been blessed by the help that your foundation has done.

Thank you,
Lance M and The Parma/O'Connor Community

Charitable Grant Recipients

Thanks to a grant the Team UP Foundation gave to our organization, many children in the Toronto area have been assisted by receiving the mobility equipment they need to have more independent lives and get out and have a little fun as all children should be able to do.

Kevin Harrison, National Director of Corporate Giving
Muscular Dystrophy Canada.


In supporting LOVE, the MLSE Team Up Foundation has played an integral role in a youth movement designed to promote community safety, empower youth and create meaningful social change.

Joy Futerman, Program Director
Leave Out Violence