Happy Festivus: Hunter Hub holiday campaign raises funds for KidSport Calgary

The Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking raised more than $1,500 for KidSport Calgary & Area as part of its year-end holiday giving campaign. 

The initiative was part of the Hub’s broader commitment to community impact, aligning with its service-oriented ethos. 

“Here at the Hunter Hub, our philosophy is that we are here to be of service,” says Execuive Director Guy Levesque. “We aim to provide guidance so that people can figure out what they want to do in life and what their passion is. Giving back to the community is really a similar gesture to what we do every day — just in a different context.”

In addition to KidSport Calgary, the Hunter Hub partnered with the UCalgary Campus Food Bank and Dress for Success as part of the holiday campaign.

The initiative culminated at the Hunter Hub’s annual holiday party, Festivus, where members of the Hub community gathered to celebrate the campaign’s impact. Kevin Webster, CEO of KidSport Calgary & Area, was also in attendance. 

Building entrepreneurial thinking skills at a young age

KidSport Calgary provides grants to help cover registration fees and offers no-cost equipment so children and youth aged 18 and under in the Calgary area can participate in organized sport.

For Webster, community connection is central to KidSport’s mission. 

“Community-driven fundraising is at the heart of our organization. The dollars are one thing; more than that, the charity brings the community together, and that’s really special,” he says. 

The funds raised through initiatives like the Hunter Hub’s campaign help remove barriers to sport participation for children who may not otherwise have access.

“The support of our community is what enables KidSport to continue to thrive,” Webster says. “People have a connection to what we’re doing, and they know that the work we do is why a child can play soccer, go to swim practice tomorrow, or play basketball the next day.”

For Levesque, the connection between sport and entrepreneurial thinking is clear.

“Some of the most important mentors and coaches in my life were from sports,” he says. “What we do at the Hunter Hub involves a lot of mentoring and coaching, and there’s such a strong parallel. Much of who I am as an individual comes from lessons learned at a young age — teamwork, facing challenges, picking yourself back up, and building resilience.” 

Webster echoes the long-term impact of sport on young people. 

“Kids today face a lot of barriers, whether technological or social,” he says. “Sport can bring so much positivity into a child’s life — from the connections they make and the role models they meet, to the skills they learn. You learn how to succeed and, maybe even more importantly, how to fail.”

Through its partnership with KidSport, the Hunter Hub continues to reinforce its mission of empowering people at every stage of their journey.

“Day in and day out, we support undergraduates, graduate students and alumni as they power their entrepreneurial journeys,” says Levesque. “We decided to fundraise for KidSport because that journey starts at a very young age. 

“This initiative is truly a proxy for the work we do here at the Hunter Hub.”