Every Kid Sports funds La Pine youth sports this fall Published 11:00 pm Tuesday, June 17, 2025

1/2 Swipe or click to see more The La Pine Park & Recreation District’s office in La Pine as seen October 10. The last three district board members resigned during an emergency meeting October 9. 2/2 Swipe or click to see more A Central Oregon lacrosse game, with players supported by Every Kid Sports (Submitted photo/Every Kid Sports).

Since the La Pine Park and Recreation District fell apart last October, the district hasn’t been able to run its own youth programs. It called on organizations like Every Kid Sports to step in and fill the gap so kids still have the opportunity to participate in sports throughout the year.

The park district’s foundation has given Every Kid Sports a $4,000 donation for local families to participate in youth sports this fall. Each participant, aged 4 to 18, is eligible to receive up to $150 after applying.

“When La Pine Parks and Rec dissolved, our organization was shocked as anybody else would be,” said Eleana Fanaika, executive director of Every Kid Sports. “Knowing it was in part because of youth sports, and that now there would be no youth sports, and our organization is founded on bringing access to youth sports, it just hit hard.”

Fanaika felt there was something her organization could do, and reached out to the park district to see how they could help. The park district’s foundation had available funding which it decided to donate to Every Kid Sports so families could participate in recreation sports.

Every Kid Sports, a national nonprofit, started in Central Oregon in 2010. Children aged 4 to 18 who receive Medicaid, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits qualify for the program. In Oregon, this includes the Oregon Health Plan.

Every Kid Sports will be at Music in the Pines, La Pine’s summer concert series, to help families with applying for sports funding this summer. The application is also available on the website starting June 23 for 30 days. A certain number of applications will be accepted each day. The application is open three times a year for fall, winter and spring sports. Most summer recreation programs are summer camps, which Every Kid Sports can’t support. The organization also doesn’t support club, elite or travel teams.

“It shows our community the demand of kids who want to play sports and that are lacking the access to do so, and so I foresee a future of the community really coming together to make sure that we continue programs like this,” Fanaika said.

Funding is provided on a digital debit card that is specifically for Every Kid Sports, which can then be transferred to any sports organization or activity kids want to participate in, whether that’s an independent dance studio or a sports program at the high school. If funding isn’t used in a season, the organization pulls it back to pay for another child the next season. Applicants can apply again even if they didn’t use previous funds. The organization has supported over 74 different sports, said Fanaika.

Every Kid Sports is also launching the Born in Bend campaign, with the goal to support 2,500 kids in Central Oregon over the next three years. The foundation’s donation was made in support of the campaign.

The park district is building back up again after it dissolved last October, said Wynn Malikowski, facilities coordinator. La Pine Sports Academy and La Pine Youth Football have also stepped up to run sports programs for kids.

“In a couple years we’ll be back on track, and hopefully running some programs ourselves,” he said. “We wanted to figure out a way that we could give back somehow, and Every Kid Sports seemed like the perfect fit….If we could make a donation strictly for the La Pine area kids and they could keep those funds for our kids, we’d love to make a donation.”

Every Kid Sports will host an in-person registration night 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. July 10 in Bend.

“Everybody gets the opportunity to choose which sport is best for their child and their family. As opposed to just one entity receiving the funding and the support, now it’ll be back to the families,” said Fanaika. “That’s what we’re going to do specifically in Central Oregon, and with this funding from La Pine Parks and Rec Foundation, we’re going to put that money right back into La Pine.”

Fanaika is excited to see how communities grow and change thanks to youth sports.

“Sports bring everybody so much joy, from playing, to spectating, coaching, organizing, wherever you’re involved it brings a lot of joy, and that’s where being on the recreation side is really focusing in on that joy and providing that to families and to kids, and at a greater level, to communities,” said Fanaika.