Sporting organizations trying to acquire funds may look to Western Canada’s largest slo-pitch tournament and music festival for help.
Grant applications courtesy of the Funtastic Sports Society, which operates the Funtastic Slo-Pitch tournament and Music Festival every July long weekend,will be accepted starting in early January, with a deadline to submit by the end of February.
“We really want to inform the community what Funtastic is all about and that is giving back to the community through sport,” said Funtastic board chairperson, Vernon Mayor Akbal Mund. “In order to do this, we have a fundraiser, and that fundraiser is the Funtastic Slo-Pitch and Music Festival. The profit made from that event is what we give back and have available for the grant process.”
Grants will be announced and awarded in the spring of 2018.
For the past nine years, the Funtastic Community Grant program has given away more than $250,000 to local non-profit sports organizations.
Groups that have benefited from the grants include Vernon Minor Fastball, North Okanagan Youth Soccer, Vernon Curling Club, Vernon Tennis club, Vernon Rowing and Paddling Centre and Vernon Baseball Association.
The application forms for the 2018 grant will be available on the Funtastic website (funtasticsports.ca) in mid-January.
“That’s the easiest way to apply,” said Mund. “Or you can reach out to me and I have no problems getting an application to you.”
The 34th annual Funtastic Slo-Pitch Tournament and Music Festival will run June 29-July 2. More than 215 teams participate in Vernon, with an additional 100 teams taking part in satellite locations of Armstrong, Enderby and Port Alberni.
If you haven’t registered a team for 2018, there is an early bird registration on until Dec. 1 where one team will have a chance to win a Waterways Houseboat four-day vacation on Shuswap Lake.
The draw will take place Dec. 15.
The music lineup for the tournament will be revealed in the spring.