Post by thesnakeguy on May 19, 2012 1:04:07 GMT -5
With critical Swatch World Tour events upcoming over the next month, many of the beach volleyballers have maxed out their personal credit cards and squeezed all they can out of sponsors.
"I've spent close to $25,000 in 2012," said the 28-year-old Reader, who relocated to Toronto from Vancouver in September. "We have to pay for our own flights, our own hotels, our own food. I'm a big guy (six-foot-seven). I have a monster food bill."
This week, Volleyball Canada offered to lend money to players so they could purchase airline tickets to the remaining World Tour events — three for men, two for women — in Prague (May 22-27), Moscow (June 6-12) and Rome (June 13-17).
www.canada.com/sports/Canada%20beach%20volleyball%20stars%20piling%20debt%20Olympics/6646973/story.html
The players have been funding their own travel to World Tour events that count toward Olympic qualifying. They also haven't received their carding money from the federal government for six months because of an arbitration between Volleyball Canada and a national team player.
But an emergency fundraising effort this week spearheaded by Canadian Athletes Now (CAN Fund) has raised more than $44,000 in the span of a few days for the cash-strapped athletes' plight.
"To hear these volleyball players say they've funded their entire Olympic journey and haven't their carding for six months. . . It's not right, they get so little anyways," said Jane Roos, founder of CAN Fund, an independent athletic fundraising body.
www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/canadas-beach-volleyball-players-have-some-breathing-room-thanks-to-fundraiser-152101185.html
"I've spent close to $25,000 in 2012," said the 28-year-old Reader, who relocated to Toronto from Vancouver in September. "We have to pay for our own flights, our own hotels, our own food. I'm a big guy (six-foot-seven). I have a monster food bill."
This week, Volleyball Canada offered to lend money to players so they could purchase airline tickets to the remaining World Tour events — three for men, two for women — in Prague (May 22-27), Moscow (June 6-12) and Rome (June 13-17).
www.canada.com/sports/Canada%20beach%20volleyball%20stars%20piling%20debt%20Olympics/6646973/story.html
The players have been funding their own travel to World Tour events that count toward Olympic qualifying. They also haven't received their carding money from the federal government for six months because of an arbitration between Volleyball Canada and a national team player.
But an emergency fundraising effort this week spearheaded by Canadian Athletes Now (CAN Fund) has raised more than $44,000 in the span of a few days for the cash-strapped athletes' plight.
"To hear these volleyball players say they've funded their entire Olympic journey and haven't their carding for six months. . . It's not right, they get so little anyways," said Jane Roos, founder of CAN Fund, an independent athletic fundraising body.
www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/canadas-beach-volleyball-players-have-some-breathing-room-thanks-to-fundraiser-152101185.html
