Kids Up Front Foundation (Calgary)

Kids Up Front Calgary creates joy, promotes inclusion and strengthens communities by connecting children and families to enriching experiences.

From empty seats to unforgettable adventures…

The idea for our foundation was sparked in Calgary in 1999 by John Dalziel, a local businessperson impacted visually by all the empty seats at a hockey game. John envisioned these empty seats filled with deserving kids – kids who may never receive the opportunity to attend a hockey game or a concert due to financial or social barriers.

Since then, we have provided more than 690,598 experiences valued at over $24 million to southern Alberta kids and families!

A survey of Kids Up Front Calgary partners revealed that 85% felt that the services provided by Kids Up Front were essential to the work that they do with kids, and 79% said they could benefit from and need increased services and offerings from Kids Up Front due to demand from and need of their clients.

We need help to meet that demand. Become a superhero for local kids and donate today. For every $21 donated, we can provide an enriching experience to a deserving child or youth and the value of the experience they receive is on average $75+. Our program is proven and impactful, we simply need more financial support to ensure we can meet the demand and grow our reach.

Let’s make sure all kids in our community can be included!

Excerpts From Our Recent Impact and Evaluation Study

Kids Up Front services a ‘social equalizer’- a set of opportunities that diversified access to community resources and social assets.
By providing a financially risk-free starting point for participation, Kids Up Front plays a role in making community events more accessible. It contributes to the audience’s diversity and participants enjoying these events.
Given the context of marginalization for many children, an important result of Kids Up Front services is the improvement in perceptions of a sense of belonging in society.
Children and families feel ‘normal’ due to attending events that the average Calgarian would have experienced.
Respondents listed the following critical factors that contributed to improvements in well-being: being removed from day-to-day stressors and being in an enjoyable environment.
For both children and adults, respondents described how it was essential to put their negative experiences away and do something positive and fun.
Focus group respondents described laughter, enjoyment and freedom from worries as healing processes for many clients.
Children who were often exposed to adult realities and problems could act their age during events and experience some recreation and play in their lives.
Children feel fewer negative emotions and experience less sense of being left out and isolated.
For some clients, the distance from typical environments meant that they were removed from the frustrating circumstances, triggers and negative associations that impacted their behaviour towards others.
In allowing the space for improved relationships, Kids Up Front interventions catalyzed changes that would strengthen support networks around children and contribute to their overall well-being.
One respondent described the children they worked with as ‘being on the outside and looking in’ and explained how something as simple as attending Stampede for the first time helped them feel more like a part of the society they lived in.
Children and their families felt valued when tickets were offered to them. They often saw it as a sign of being respected or recognized by the service provider or school.
Improvements in self-esteem were also linked to a change in perspective where children saw themselves, sometimes for the first time in their lives, as contributors – individuals who brought something of value to others.
For a young person, being the reason why their family or friends could attend an exciting event meant that they could counter negative perceptions and build their standing with others. This effect was seen in young people across different target populations, ranging from children with limited independence (due to illness or disability) to young people with behavioural issues.
Respondents also described further effects such as decreased stress for parents, increased happiness for individuals and families even after an event, and improvements in overall family wellness.
Longer-term impacts included boosts in the self-esteem and identity of children and young people. Respondents reported seeing improved self-confidence, increased sense of independence and improved self-efficacy in children and youth.
After receiving event tickets, children were more likely to view themselves as being valued by others and as having something to contribute to those around them.