(FREDERICTON, NB) The competitive basketball season is long over for Katie Butts, but she’s still padding her stats.
Butts has registered what might be the biggest assist of her career as a member of the UNB REDS women’s basketball team.
“I love helping people. I consider this a part of who I am,” said Butts.
An initiative, brought forward by Butts, to fund scholarships for attendees of REDS girls’ basketball summer camps, has spread to include all REDS summer sport camp programs.
“I think it’s amazing that the program has spread to all REDS camps,” said Butts. “When starting this with Coach Speedy, the plan was to involve other sports in years to come. I’m so glad we’ve been able to start that much sooner than planned. The sooner we start, the more kids we can send to camp. The fact we can impact kids in all REDS camps, not just girls’ basketball, makes me happy.”
Butts and her UNB women’s basketball teammates engaged fundraising efforts this past season aimed at providing financial assistance, in the form of summer camp fees, to children from economically challenged households.
The sale of team apparel proved fruitful, jump-starting the camp scholarship fund.
They raised enough to put four girls into REDS basketball camps this coming summer.
“It’s very rewarding that the fundraising efforts were so well received,” said Butts. “So many people have helped make this possible and I’m grateful to those that have purchased our REDS clothing or donated.”
Now, UNB alumni, camp alumni, and the public can donate to the fund.
Families registering campers for the REDS’ 2023 summer sport programming will be given the option to add a donation to their registration costs. Even those who aren’t registering children for this summer’s programming can access an online donation page.
Donations of any amount are being accepted.
“This is an unreal initiative,” said Jeff Speedy, UNB’s Associate Director of Athletics who recently stepped away from his role as head coach of the REDS women’s basketball team after 17 seasons. “Katie came up with the idea of selling REDS clothing to raise money to send some underprivileged girls to our summer camps. On its own, that was a great idea, but she wanted to do more. A lot of people have worked hard to get this program to the point where it involves other programs, not just girls’ basketball and our Jr. Reds, and that people can make a donation online.”
Butts, one of a select number of student-athletes participating in UNB's prestigious Phillips Sports Leadership Academy, says the short-term goal of the program, sending kids who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend a summer sport camp, has been achieved. Over time, she hopes the number of kids the program supports continues to grow.
“I hope this program becomes a start for many children’s passion for the sport of the camp they attend,” she said. “Maybe we’re sparking a passion for a future REDS’ student-athlete.”
For those not registering children for REDS summer sport programming, donations to the scholarship initiative can be made here: https://www.goredsgo.ca/camps/donation_page
“I really like that this initiative was student-athlete driven,” said Speedy. “A lot of REDS staff were involved in making it happen and our coaches are on board too. The REDS are like a family that support one another and work well together in many ways. This is just another example of that.”
STORY BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics
PHOTO: File