By SNS Communications
Over three days in late October more than 3000 students walked through the doors of Soccer Nova Scotia’s BMO Soccer Centre for the Sport Nova Scotia Milk Sport Fair. Representing 33 different schools, the students from grades 3-8 were able to try out more than 20 different sports.
From snowboarding to wheelchair basketball, each booth had an interactive element for the students to try that was facilitated by staff and volunteers from various provincial sport organizations.
Dairy Farmers of Canada, the long-standing title sponsor of the Milk Sport Fair, also hosts a booth with food and nutrition resources for teachers and students.
“This event allows teachers to have a look at everything we offer. They learn how they can order our resources and bring them into their classrooms to use with their students,” says Elaine Horne Duarte, Project Manager, Health Education – NS, Dairy Farmers of Canada. “It’s a good way to see what they need, what they’re looking for and how our resources can help them bring to life some of these activities in the classroom.”
They also take the opportunity to talk to students about the importance of nutrition and the ways it supports good physical and mental health. Elaine has attended around 20 Milk Sport Fairs and says it is rare not to see a smile on a kid’s face when they pass by.
“My favourite part of the Milk Sport Fair is seeing the students find activities they love to do that maybe they’ve never been able to access before. And then it’s always fun to see them interacting together and working together to do some of the activities at our booth too,” says Elaine.
Cassie Martell, who teaches a grade 5/6 class at Astral Drive Elementary School, has been to many Milk Sport Fairs. She says every year the kids have a great time. “They always have a lot of fun burning off energy and they always come back to me saying, ‘oh madam, I tried this today and I’ve never tried this before.’”
Martell also says this year was especially well run, with volunteers and Sport Nova Scotia team members efficiently getting hundreds of kids through each activity.
Meanwhile, this was Mark Harnish’s first time attending the event. A grade six teacher at Eastern Passage Education Centre, he said the event was fantastic.
“I think it’s great to just expose the students to things that they might not be exposed to in the community they live in,” says Mark. “Sports for these kids like rugby, field hockey or wheelchair basketball are things that they normally wouldn’t be exposed to. This gives them a fantastic opportunity to explore that and to find something they really enjoy.”
The Sport Nova Scotia Milk Sport Fair is held twice a year in the fall and spring. The next one will take place in Bridgewater in May.
