Stubs for Cubs: Making Professional Sports Accessible for All

The program, which had its start at the beginning of the River Lions’ 2019 season, set out to give children a chance to experience all of the excitement and fun that attending a River Lions game entails, while simultaneously inspiring and motivating these young individuals. 

“It’s a great opportunity for people to experience the entertainment factor for sure, and our league actually provides a lot of Canadian content and a lot of Canadian players, so it gives an opportunity for young boys and girls to see role models in their own backyard” said Chris Langdon, Director of Partnership and Sales for the Niagara River Lions. 

The Stubs for Cubs program also opens the door for children to begin visualizing a future for themselves, either playing basketball or working within the extensive field of entertainment and live sport. 

“It’s really providing an opportunity for them to have high level entertainment in their own backyard, and an opportunity for them to interact with potential role models for a vision of the future and what they might become interested in” Langdon stated. 

With a company’s commitment of $330, 20 tickets will be donated to local charities and non-profit organizations over the course of a River Lions season. In keeping with the River Lions moniker of pride and strength of community, the organization will match each company’s donation to provide even more opportunity for children to experience professional basketball. 

The companies who participate in this program will receive corporate recognition in multiple ways, such as having their company logo or name listed on the River Lions’ jumbotron at every home game, having their company logo or name on the River Lions’ partner page and request form sent to the community database, as well as being included in two social media shoutouts that are broadcasted to the River Lions’ thousands of online followers. 

The local charities and non-profit organizations that benefit from this community initiative acknowledge the significance of this partnership, and stress the invaluable importance of making professional sport accessible for all. 

“For many of our children, access to professional sports tickets is an opportunity that does not present itself too often outside of a connection to a community agency” said Ashley Dunseith, Supervisor of Programs and Services at Big Brothers Big Sisters of North and West Niagara. “This opportunity gives our children the chance to experience something new and exciting, often for the first time. It's the overall environment, the crowd, the excitement, and undoubtedly the dedication and passion of the local athletes that has an ability to spark a level of enjoyment and inspiration within the child for a sport they may have otherwise not had experienced.” 

Samantha Sendzik, Executive Director at the Learning Disabilities Association of Niagara Region, echoes this sentiment of appreciation. “Students with learning disabilities struggle in their academics, and therefore must dedicate time outside of regular school hours to attend programs which support their academic development. This oftentimes results in a trade-off with other activities such as attending sporting events or engaging in extra-curriculars. The Stubs for Cubs program gives these students access to do so, without the financial burden.” 

The excitement and appreciation over the Stubs for Cubs program can be seen in the reactions of the many children that have attended these games. 

“There was one young lady in particular who was overjoyed after attending her first game” Dunseith stated. “Her Big sister indicated she was already ‘hooked’ by game two. The pair had opportunity before one of the games to meet the Little's favourite player, and to get his autograph. The Little Sister was so excited when the player offered to give this newfound fan his game shoes after the game. Her smile was worth a thousand words in that moment.” 

Families that have received tickets through the Learning Disabilities Association of Niagara Region have emphasized how participating in the Stubs for Cubs program allows for an enjoyable family outing. 

“We were able to go last year, and the family had so much fun!” said Carrie Nerbonne, a Stubs for Cubs recipient. “We have 7 boys together, and we don’t get to do things like this often, so it was a real treat.” 

Although the River Lions were unable to offer tickets for their 2020 season due to COVID-19, the organization plans to continue with the initiative in 2021 if advice from public health officials deems the process safe. 

“Our families and matches are all very understanding under the current circumstances that we are all facing as a community; however, I know our current and new matches are all excited about the opportunity to hopefully one day attend the games again when it is safe to do so” said Dunseith. “To see the eyes light up in our Little Brothers and Little Sisters – and our Bigs too – when we talk about River Lions' ticket opportunities is priceless. We hope to continue this invaluable partnership, and to one day provide these unique opportunities to the kids/matches within our programs again!”

If your company is interested in participating in the Stubs for Cubs program, please email info@riverlions.ca.