The Town of Baie Verte has received $10,000 from the Provincial Government to assist with the costs associated with hosting the 2010 Baie Verte Peninsula Regional Games, being held August 8-12.

"The Regional Games Program allows our province's youth to participate in organized, yet non-competitive sport programming," said the Honourable Terry French, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. "It is part of the Provincial Government's efforts to provide our young people with opportunities to engage in physical activity, and encourage them to continue to live a healthy, active lifestyle throughout their lives."

The $100,000 Regional Games Program, administered through Recreation Newfoundland and Labrador, provides 10 communities with up to $10,000 to provide youth, aged 11-18, with an opportunity to participate in multi-sport events within their regions.

"These games are an effective and fun approach to making physical activity attractive to our young people," said Kevin Pollard, MHA for Baie Verte-Springdale. "It is important that we continue to promote participation and teambuilding among our youth, as these elements contribute to building a socially and physically healthy population."

Budget 2010: The Right Investments — For Our Children and Our Future provides over $1.2 million in new funding to improve existing programming and introduces new initiatives which support the goals and objectives of the provincial recreation and sport strategy, Active Healthy Newfoundland and Labrador.

Since the launch of the strategy in 2007, more than $70 million in Provincial Government funding has been committed to recreational and sport infrastructure, programming, and athlete development.

-30-

Media contacts: