Verdun Elementary School Receives New Turf Field Thanks to Generous Donations
by Chloë Ranaldi
Children of all ages were running on the new turf field, playing soccer and doing cartwheels on the grass.
The new turf field was gifted by GOAL Initiatives Foundation, the Patrice Bernier Foundation, and GTF Turf Inc. “There is no way we’d be able to do this without their help. This is such a gift,” said Verdun Elementary School principal, Lori McKergow.
“Without this new turf [students] would not get the activity they’re getting and they would not be able to play as many sports. It changes life for these kids.”
McKergow says the rest of the schoolyard is asphalt, and the new turf field is a space where children can play freely.
“It can be quite hard for public schools to get the funds they need for things like a recreational budget,” said Paul Desbaillets, founder of Goal Initiatives Foundation.
“So, we knew that if we did this right, we could get [the field] done within the summer versus potentially 2 years.”
Desbaillets says the new field allows kids to play the sport that is becoming ever more popular.
Patrice Bernier, a former CF Montreal player, says the most important thing for kids, is to play, build their confidence and learn life skills playing sports.
“Socializing and going to meet people and saying I want to play and join you guys, builds confidence, you can express yourself.”
