COMMUNITY >> Programs

The Lions in the House program, proudly sponsored by ActNow BC, engages youth and encourages positive skill development to benefit students and their schools. BC Lions players Lyle Green, Barron Miles, Geroy Simon, Jason Jimenez, Javier Glatt, Dean Valli and Sherko Haji-Rasouli traveled to schools to engage students in an interactive assembly with physical activity and motivational speeches on fitness and nutrition, bullying, continuing education, and maintaining a positive attitude. This year, the BC Lions visited 20 secondary schools schools speaking to over 10,000 students in grades 8 - 12.

Spring 2008 also saw the BC Lions launch the new Jr. Lions in the House program. Proudly sponsored by ActNow BC, the Jr. Lions in the House program focuses on the topics of nutrition, physical fitness, and developing a positive attitude and is geared towards students in grades 4 - 7. In 2008, the Lions visited 32 elementary schools across the Lower Mainland speaking to over 6,400 students as part of this new initiative.

The Spring of 2008 marked the 7th year of the BC Lions Read, Write & Roar Literacy Program. Read, Write & Roar began in 2002 in partnership with Literacy BC, the Vancouver Public Library, the Vancouver School Board and participating elementary schools. The program has grown over the years and now reaches 15 school districts and over 25,000 elementary school students, stressing the importance of literacy through a fun and captivating journal. Read, Write and Roar has become a successful community program of the BC Lions due to the kind contributions from our sponsors Raise a Reader/The Vancouver Sun and Kidzsmart along with our founding sponsor Scotiabank.

In 2008 the BC Lions will continue to partner with BC Children's Hospital for the Every Yard Counts program. This program provides an opportunity for children to attend a BC Lions home game, allowing them to get away from their treatment schedules and the every day battles they fight. Not only do the children get to experience the excitement and emotion of a CFL game, they also have the opportunity to meet some of their BC Lions and football heroes face-to-face. The interactions have far-reaching effects by creating feelings of hope and happiness. It is an enjoyable and rewarding event for everyone involved.

The BC Lions continue their partnership with United Way of the Lower Mainland in support of our Courage For Kids program. Over 6,000 children will be given the opportunity to attend a BC Lions home game this season thanks to the generosity of the sponsors for the Courage For Kids program as well as the United Way of the Lower Mainland.