Vancouver Bandits Team Up With Westland Insurance and S.A.Y Health & Community Centre to Host Basketball Camp for Indigenous Youth in Fraser Valley
Bandits Staff • February 7, 2024
The Vancouver Bandits partnered with Westland Insurance, ISPARC and The'í:tselíya - S.A.Y. Health & Community Centre to host a free youth basketball camp at Skowkale First Nation in Chilliwack.
The camp took place on January 13th and was open to boys and girls. More than 60 Indigenous youth from communities in Chilliwack to Pemberton participated in the free-to-attend event that featured two instructional skills sessions led by Bandits team president Dylan Kular and Bandits head coach Kyle Julius.
Multiple volunteers from Westland Insurance were in attendance to support the camp and help Kular and Julius run drills and activities with the youth and coaches.
“It was a privilege to host this free basketball camp for Indigenous youth in partnership with the Vancouver Bandits, ISPARC, and The’í:tselíya - S.A.Y. Health & Community Centre,” says Cari Watson, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Client Experience for Westland Insurance. “Basketball is an engaging sport that can help youth develop teamwork and confidence. Hosting the camp has been a rewarding volunteerism initiative for our branches and a natural collaboration in alignment with Westland’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
The camp is the latest instalment in Westland Insurance’s commitment toward enhancing the Bandits’ community projects. Since 2022, Westland has sponsored the annual Indigenous youth basketball camp hosted by the Bandits as part of the club’s ongoing partnership with the
Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (I∙SPARC). The partnership is showcased each summer at the
BC Basketball Festival when more than 50 Indigenous youth come to Langley Events Centre for fundamental basketball instruction hosted by the Bandits and I∙SPARC coaching staff and at the annual Indigenous Celebration Night at a Vancouver Bandits’ home game.
Since 2022, the goal of the Collective has been to create increased opportunities for Indigenous players, coaches and others involved in basketball to participate in training camps, competitions, workshops and more. The camp is the third camp since Westland Insurance has partnered with the Vancouver Bandits on the Collective.
“According to I∙SPARC, the Fraser Valley generally has lower basketball registrations in their programming relative to other regions in the province. What we learned from this camp is there is a group of people from various Nations in the region who have interest in collaborating to grow the game of basketball. We are grateful for the chance to be invited to Skowkale First Nation to connect with young and aspiring basketball players by creating an opportunity to play with their peers and learn new skills from our Bandits head coach, Kyle Julius,” Bandits team president Dylan Kular said.
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