For more than 40 years, two-time Olympian Howard Kelsey has played on the basketball courts at Kitsilano Beach.
Kits Beach was basically my training ground for the Olympics, says Kelsey, who represented Canada on the mens basketball team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics (Canada lost to Yugoslavia by six points in the bronze medal game). Thats why its been a great experience giving back to that.
In 2009, Kelsey (pictured at right), along with Julien Phipps, founded KitsFest, a sports and healthy living festival with an L.A. Lakers-inspired logo that has a vision rooted in not only promoting a healthy lifestyle, but giving back to the community.
Under the financial umbrella of Kelseys Canada One Athletic Foundation, the festival renovated and resurfaced the Kitsilano Beach basketball courts in 2007 and will be doing the same to the 11 tennis courts.
Our vision was to bring people together to get them out and give them something to do in the summer time, explains Phipps. But it was also about giving back to the community and leaving legacies like these upgrades for the area.
In addition to the basketball and tennis courts, KitsFest will also be planting at least six new palm trees on the beach in October, as well as providing significant, yet-to-be-determined upgrades to the Kitsilano Showboat.
KitsFest holds tournaments in a growing number of sports including basketball, volleyball, tennis, beach tennis and this year, a half-marathon and beach yoga hosted by .
Phipps says they expect up to 1,000 people attending the yoga session. DJs will also provide music and local restaurants including the Boathouse will help keep attendees and athletes fed.
Kelsey says he is thankful to have the opportunity to give back to the community and the courts that helped define who he is today.
Its a fantastic experience, he says. Its been the most positive feeling having donated those courts and now having people happy and playing down there.
takes place from Aug. 10 to 12. For more information, visit .
