Johnston Group created the Advisor Charitable Match Program to team up with our advisors across the country who are supporting community initiatives that make a difference.
When Deanna Schmidt-Hryor, Ben Applin, and the rest of the crew at S+F Group Benefits in Langley, BC, were looking for a team-building exercise, they wanted one that would also help local kids.
“If you can challenge kids at a young age and build confidence and a sense of community and a place to belong, you change their lives, and you change the community for the better,” says Ben.
So, they decided to get involved with KidSport Langley by participating in the MOVE430 Challenge. For the month of April, they committed to running, walking, hiking, biking, and/or swimming for at least 30 minutes for 30 consecutive days.
“We started in 2021 and have been doing that every year since. Now we’re going dragon boating as a team for our 30 minutes of movement,” says Ben. For S+F, the team building has been a success. As for helping kids, it’s a double header.
Everyone at S+F Group Benefits coaches in the community, helping kids achieve their goals, deal with adversity, and of course, have a lot of fun. They believe it’s easy to just give money, but they get much more satisfaction out of personally having an effect on the community.
“It’s special to look back as an athlete and see who were the most influential people in my life – and they were coaches,” says Deanna. That’s what makes KidSport a perfect fit for them; the organization covers the costs for kids who otherwise couldn’t afford to join a team. KidSport relies on donor support to sustain their granting program. But the need is increasing, which is why the S+F Group Benefits folks also decided to make an additional donation to the cause.
The S+F Group Benefits team are local advisors for Chambers Plan group insurance. The Plan’s administrator, Johnston Group, was excited to help share their story and match the contribution through their Advisor Charitable Match Program, which is designed to support charitable organizations that are having a direct impact on their local communities.
“Last year we funded sport for 215 kids totaling over $71,000 in grants for kids in Langley – a 49% increase from 2022,” says Jeff Lively, chair of the Langley KidSport chapter. “Donations like the one from S+F Group Benefits and the matching dollars from Johnston Group are instrumental in helping us meet this growing demand from kids in need in our community.”
All funding received at KidSport Langley is overseen by a small board of volunteers who make sure every dollar goes directly to the kids who need it. “When kids have access to sport,” KidSport says, “they improve in school, become stronger leaders, create safer communities, ignite inclusivity, and fuel healthy habits for life.”
