Category: Sports and Recreation Programs

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This article was originally published in January 2018. Since then, Bob Shanks has raised ANOTHER $100k is nearing his goal of a quarter million raised entirely by himself for CAN. Incredible!

Jan 5, 2018

Each year, Canucks Autism Network (CAN) delivers over 450 sports and rec programs throughout BC. Ranging from weekly sports lessons to single-day family events, CAN programs impact over 3,200 individuals and families living with autism on an annual basis. But each program and event is only possible with the generous support of those who share our passion.

In 2012, Robbie Cruickshank, a young adult diagnosed with autism, had just heard about CAN. “My sister, Diana, was good friends with someone from the organization who was involved in fundraising,” Robbie recalled. “Being a huge sports fan, I was motivated to support CAN’s programs. I love hockey, football and basketball — both playing and watching.”

Most importantly, Robbie loved the idea of helping kids with autism play these sports too. He began simply by collecting donations from his family. Better known as “Bob Shanks” to those closest to him, Robbie began expanding his fundraising efforts. For five years, Robbie has hosted pub nights, spearheaded online campaigns and even gone door-to-door to support CAN programs.

“Pretty much any time I wasn’t working,” Robbie told us, “I was fundraising for CAN.”

In 2014, he was named the Top Individual Fundraiser at the CAN Family Festival, raising an incredible $10,128. Robbie not only held that title for the next two years, he topped his annual total each time with $26,000 in 2015 and $37,535 in 2016.

With years of dedicated fundraising under his belt, Robbie set his sights on a truly astonishing milestone in 2017.

$100,000 raised since 2012.

This past September, Robbie reached and obliterated that goal. His most recent total? $113,763 as of early-January.

But as inconceivable as it is for one individual to raise $100,000, the amount is not nearly as important as the passion that Robbie shares with CAN.

When asked how he could have accomplished something so incredible, Robbie answered simply, “I just tell people how it is at CAN – where the money is going and what the organization does.”

A couple of years ago, Robbie visited the I CAN Play Sports program, where he helped teach a participant how to shoot a basketball. “I told him, ‘Shoot it like you’re putting your hand in a cookie jar’ and he made the basket!”

For Robbie, seeing the joy that sports gives each child is what continues to motivate him. “I do it because these kids get to experience something that may not be possible without CAN.”

With over 11,000 families living with autism in BC, the need for help is greater than ever. Regardless of the amount, every contribution counts.

Thank you to Robbie and all of our supporters for sharing CAN’s passion. We could not do what we do without you.

To learn how you can support CAN programs, please visit canucksautism.ca/support.

If you would like to support Robbie’s ongoing fundraising efforts for CAN, please visit our online donation page and be sure to enter “Robbie Cruickshank” in the comments field.

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Dec 23, 2017

Whether it’s photos with Santa or a festive lights display, the holidays are marked by the special outings that we have with loved ones. That’s why Canucks Autism Network (CAN) was so thrilled to host the Holiday Skate yesterday for over 25 families with autism in Kelowna.

As with all CAN family events, yesterday’s celebration was offered free of charge and provided a non-judgemental environment where families with autism could enjoy themselves in the community.

This was Kelsey General’s second year at the Holiday Skate. A single mother of two boys on the spectrum, Kelsey travelled an hour from Penticton so they could spend the holidays with CAN.

With two-year-old Lincoln strapped to her back, Kelsey strolled around the rink alongside Brentley, her oldest. At three years old, Brentley already has a season of CAN’s weekly skate program under his belt and loves being on the ice.

After a few laps around the rink, Kelsey and her boys retreated to the sidelines where CAN volunteers waited with hot chocolate and photos with Santa.

It was just over a year ago that the Generals had their first experience with CAN. “I saw an ad on Facebook for a family picnic event that CAN was hosting in Kelowna.”

With both sons diagnosed, she recalled how challenging it was for her to enjoy the same outings together as a typical family. “When you go to typical events, one thing you might encounter are lots of lines,” she explained. “But for my kids, waiting around is not usually feasible. After 10 seconds, Brentley would start yelling and the people around us wouldn’t understand why. It was very isolating.”

Though Kelsey and her sons live nearly an hour away, she eagerly signed up for CAN’s family event.

“It was a place where the kids could run around and just be themselves,” Kelsey remembered. “But in addition to that, we got to meet other families with autism too. It had a very community-like feel.”

In the year that followed, Kelsey signed up for two more family events — the first Holiday Skate in December 2016 and a Family Bowling event in April 2017.

“I thought I was going to break my back supporting Brentley on the ice, but Kayla [CAN’s Regional Coordinator in Kelowna] came and helped me.” Kelsey continued, “At the bowling event, Bentley was running down the lane while my youngest was throwing balls at other people.”

But what struck Kelsey most is that she didn’t have to worry about what other families thought. At CAN’s family events, everyone is familiar with the challenges that autism can pose. And whether it was a staff member or another family, there was always someone there to support. “One of the other families came up to me and offered to help. They simply understood.”

As soon as Brentley turned 3, Kelsey signed him up for the weekly programs too. To date, he has done all three of CAN’s Early Years programs for children aged 3-6 — I CAN Be Active, I CAN Swim and I CAN Skate.

“I tell a lot of other parents about CAN and they tell me, ‘Well, my kids don’t listen to anything.’ But here, they make adaptations for the kids to be successful — eating snow on the ice for the whole first session if that’s what it takes!”

For Kelsey, attending a CAN family event was her first step to seeing what her son was capable of on the ice. It was the first step to being part of a community. And hopefully, the first of many more CAN holidays to come!

For more information, please visit our Family Events webpage.

For more information on becoming a member, please visit canucksautism.ca/join.

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Oct 6, 2017

“As a student-athlete, I recognize that I am extremely fortunate for all the enjoyable experiences I have had playing sports in my life. I want to do what I can to help children with autism gain some of these lifelong memories too.”

When Kyle McComb joined the Canucks Autism Network (CAN) as a volunteer this past June, he shared these incredibly inspiring words with us.

It is no surprise that after a summer supporting our Multisport and I CAN Bike day camps, he is our selection for CAN’s Exceptional Volunteer Award!

At the end of each season, we choose one volunteer who has truly gone above and beyond in their support for both staff and participants within our programs. A varsity baseball player for UBC, Kyle combined a clear passion for sports and giving back to his community to completely blow our staff away this summer.

Daily briefs with program staff consistently highlighted Kyle’s enthusiasm and natural ability to engage the kids:

“Kyle used clear language and always modeled for the participants what he needed them to do – showing the skills, in addition to telling.”

“He jumped right in! His energy is fabulous.” 

“Kyle jumped in as a coach and did amazingly well leading the entire softball station! In addition to demonstrating the skills with clear and simple instructions, he made sure to use our visual toolkit with the group as well!”

For more tips on engaging individuals with autism in a sports and rec environments, please visit our Helpful Resources webpage!

This Fall, Kyle returns to his busy schedule at UBC as a student-athlete. But as soon as his availability allows, he looks forward to continuing to make a difference in his new staff role as a CAN support worker.

For our participants to have athletes like Kyle to look up to is such an incredible benefit to our programs. Kyle’s genuine enthusiasm for making a difference in his community is representative of so many of the volunteers that CAN is lucky to have.

Each year, we benefit from over 600 volunteers that compassionately and generously donate their time. Whether it’s handing out CAN bracelets at a community info table or demonstrating the perfect swing of a bat in our Multisport program, we could not do what we do without volunteers like Kyle.

A huge thanks to Kyle and every CAN volunteer that makes our programs possible.

For more information on volunteering with the Canucks Autism Network, please visit our Become a Volunteer webpage!

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Sep 29, 2017

As the Canucks Autism Network continues to grow, so too does our staff team in the office! With an increasing number of programs being offered across BC, it is crucial to add like-minded individuals that share our passion for enhancing the lives of individuals and families living with autism throughout BC.

That said, we are incredibly excited to announce the most recent addition to our team, Elisabeth Walker-Young. In the newly-created position of Manager of Programs, Elisabeth will oversee the delivery and continued excellence of our sports and recreation programs province-wide. Elisabeth comes to CAN with years of experience as a champion for inclusion and accessibility in sport – both as an athlete and a professional.

As a competitive swimmer, Elisabeth is a four-time Paralympian that has won three gold medals for Team Canada. After retiring from competition, she was chosen for the role of chef de mission (official leader and spokesperson) for Team Canada at the 2015 ParaPanAmerican Games – an incredible honour that speaks volumes about her passion and reputation for advocacy.

A Paralympian athlete stands before a crowd as part of a rally.
Elisabeth as chef de mission at the 2015 ParaPanAmerican Games in Toronto. (Photo credit: Jennifer Larson)

Sharing her background as an athlete, Elisabeth recounted, “By mistake, I got involved in inclusive sport and have gained so much out of it. I wholeheartedly believe that everyone — regardless of their circumstances or lived experiences — deserve the right to participate and reap the benefits of being active within their community. In time, I realized that I had a voice to advocate for others in similar situations and a passion for affecting positive change.”

After retiring from competition, Elisabeth took on managerial roles with ParaSport Ontario, Curl BC and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. It was during her most recent time as Manager of Inclusion with viaSport BC that she became closely familiar with Canucks Autism Network.

Among CAN’s core values is a commitment to collaboration. It is only fitting that Elisabeth sat with CAN’s Program Director, Stephanie Jull, on a national advisory committee for the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC). “I loved the philosophy that CAN had,” Elisabeth recalled. “We were asked by the CAC to develop a nationally-available resource to help sports leaders make their programs more accessible to individuals with special needs. CAN created tip sheets for engaging athletes with autism that were easy to understand for coaches regardless of their experience with autism.”

View CAN and viaSport’s 10 Tip Sheets for Coaches and Community Recreation Staff on our Helpful Resources webpage!

“I loved CAN’s philosophy. Now that I’m a part of the organization, I’m so excited to be connected to like-minded people, see the work in action and most importantly continue the incredibly important work that CAN does in the BC community.”

Welcome to the team, Elisabeth! The CAN community is so glad to have you on board.

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Aug 16, 2017

Like so many skills taught in Canucks Autism Network (CAN) programs, the ability to ride a bike can open up a range of opportunities for a child.

Whether it’s riding around the neighbourhood with your family, exploring the sea wall with friends or cycling to stay fit, biking can play an important part in an active and social lifestyle.

But before a child can begin to enjoy a lifetime of experiences on their bike, they are faced with that initial hurdle of learning to ride.

Coordinating one foot to push in front of the other. Finding that perfect centre of gravity. Turning the handlebars to avoid obstacles. All while trying to follow verbal instructions and trying not to fall down.

For a child with autism faced with deficits in social communication and behavior, as well as potential motor difficulties, it can be an overwhelming experience.

Earlier this month, we invited CAN families to share their child’s experience with biking in exchange for a chance to win one of two Norco bikes. With huge thanks to the 365 International Sport Foundation, in partnership with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, the two bikes were generously donated in anticipation of Our Cityride on Saturday, August 19 – a community bike ride in Vancouver that CAN is excited to be a charity partner for.

Among the many entries, CAN parent Fion Lo recounted the barriers that her 9-year-old son faced when first trying to ride a bike at home.

“In addition to the challenges of his diagnosis, Marcus lacked confidence and was easily discouraged by setbacks. And between therapy sessions and doctor’s appointments, it was difficult simply finding the time to teach him.”

It wasn’t until Fion enrolled her son in CAN’s summer bike program that she began to see progress.

“The bike camps didn’t just focus on instruction – they were fun! He really fed off of the staff and volunteers’ enthusiasm and it was motivating for him to learn alongside other kids his own age. Marcus attended the bike camp two years in a row. By the end of the last camp, he could balance on the bike and ride around the track entirely by himself.”

What started at CAN has gradually impacted Marcus’ experiences in other areas of his life.

“This past June, Marcus began bringing his bike to school,” Fion continued. “With the skills he learned at CAN, he would bike around the track with all of his classmates cheering him on. Marcus does not usually get this level of positive attention at school, but biking has helped him with his confidence and relationships with his peers. Outside of school, Marcus and his dad will bike around the neighbourhood after dinner, spending precious time bonding with each other. Without the foundation that began at CAN’s bike camp, Marcus may still be using his training wheels. Thanks to CAN’s staff and volunteers, Marcus now has an achievement he is proud to show off to anybody that will watch!”

After filtering through countless stories like Fion’s, the Canucks Autism Network, 365 International Sport Foundation and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines are thrilled to be providing Marcus with a brand new Norco bike!

For a child to take skills learned at CAN into the community is what our programs are all about. We encourage anyone within the CAN family to come out to Our Cityride in Vancouver on Saturday, August 19! Join thousands for a scenic community bike ride through Downtown or enjoy the festival grounds at David Lam Park. Visit ourcityride.com for more details!

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Marcus receiving his new bike, alongside the contest’s second winner, Avery, at Our Cityride on August 19, 2017.