EDMONTON, AB – In 2025, the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF) achieved a record community impact across Oil Country.
In 2025, a record 65,449 children across 139 communities throughout Oil Country accessed sports programs through the EOCF's Every Kid Deserves a Shot initiative—including 11,305 girls and young women, 5,746 newcomers to Canada, 3,721 Indigenous youth, and 8,697 kids experiencing hockey for the first time.
"Behind these numbers are 65,449 individual stories across Oil Country: the newcomer family in Grande Prairie experiencing hockey for the first time, the young girl in Red Deer discovering her passion on the ice, the child with disabilities in Lloydminster finding belonging in sport," said Corey Smith, EOCF Board Chair. "We're breaking down barriers and building community from Edmonton to every corner of Oil Country."
The EOCF distributed $11.5 million to charitable causes across Oil Country in 2025—$9 million to 85 charitable organizations and $2.5 million in community programming investments—and committed an additional $11.9 million to charitable partners through 2030. These and other figures are detailed in the Foundation’s 2025 audited financial statements for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, released today at OilersFoundation.ca.
EVERY KID DESERVES A SHOT: RECORD REACH ACROSS OIL COUNTRY IN 2025
The EOCF's Every Kid Deserves a Shot initiative, presented by Rogers, removes barriers to sport participation for young people across Oil Country. In 2025, the program reached 65,449 children across 139 communities—from Edmonton and the surrounding region to Grande Prairie, Red Deer, Lloydminster, Fort McMurray, and beyond—a record for the initiative launched in the 2023-24 season.
Program Partners and Investment:
KidSport Alberta: $1.5 million KidSport Alberta delivers the Oil Country Hockey Assist Program (HAP), which subsidizes registration fees and supports season-based ice hockey programs for families facing financial barriers across Oil Country.
Free Play for Kids: $520,000 Free Play for Kids provides accessible, inclusive spaces where all kids can play, belong and grow, strengthening communities throughout Oil Country through the power of sport.
Hockey Alberta Foundation: $303,000 Through its Every Kid Every Community program, the Hockey Alberta Foundation ensures any child in Alberta who wants to play hockey can participate—in many cases experiencing sport for the first time—regardless of which community they call home.
Sport Central: $225,000 Sport Central repairs, refurbishes and redistributes sports equipment at no cost, removing barriers and empowering kids to play across Oil Country. In 2025, Sport Central distributed 27,463 pieces of equipment to young athletes throughout the region.
Who We Served Across Oil Country in 2025:
- 33,216 kids enrolled in Every Kid Deserves a Shot programming
- 11,305 girls and young women engaged in dedicated female-focused programming
- 5,746 newcomers to Canada introduced to hockey
- 3,721 Indigenous youth supported
- 8,697 youth introduced to hockey for the first time
Investment to Date: $14.7 million distributed since program launch across Oil Country, with an additional $6.7 million committed to partners through 2030.
“The support of the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation allows us to better serve the community and expand our reach at a time when demand for our services has risen 74% over the past three years,” said Janna Tominuk, CEO, Sport Central. “They are our longest-standing partner, and their continued partnership in creating meaningful change in Oil Country has helped give us the confidence and stability to take a giant leap. After 34 years, we will be relocating in spring 2026, opening the door to better service and new opportunities for growth. The difference we’re making goes far beyond the kid receiving the equipment—it touches the entire family and the wider community. Every stick, skate, and helmet creates a story and lasting memories.”
FAN PARK: A COMMUNITY HUB FOR OIL COUNTRY
The EOCF's Fan Park @ ICE District hosted over 10,000 youth participants in 2025 across inclusive hockey programs, community events, and youth development initiatives. The EOCF invested $1.5 million in Fan Park improvements, including ball hockey rinks, basketball courts, bleachers and equipment, enhancing its capacity as a year-round hub for newcomers, Indigenous youth, girls, and individuals with disabilities from across Oil Country.
Fan Park hosted a wide range of community programming in 2025, including Every Kid Deserves a Shot Community Day, Edmonton Pride Fest, Pride Cup, the ICE District Classic ball hockey tournament, skateboarding and basketball camps, and many more events—contributing to Edmonton's downtown revitalization efforts while serving as a gathering place for families from across Oil Country.
STANDING UP FOR OIL COUNTRY: ADDRESSING CRITICAL COMMUNITY NEEDS
The EOCF's Standing Up for Oil Country pillar supports organizations addressing urgent community needs from healthcare to homelessness throughout the region. In 2025, the EOCF invested $6.5 million across 81 charitable organizations serving communities throughout Oil Country, including:
- Ben Stelter Foundation: $562,100
- Alberta Cancer Foundation: $542,644
- Kids with Cancer Society of Northern Alberta: $534,842
- Make-A-Wish Canada: $471,574
- 880 CHED Santas Anonymous: $302,959
- Movember Canada: $154,834
- Cystic Fibrosis Canada (Edmonton Chapter): $151,401
- Second Harvest: $133,066
- CASA Child, Adolescent & Family Mental Health: $108,869
- Hope Mission: $75,974
- Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation: $50,958
- Dogs with Wings: $50,986
- Plus 69 additional registered charities serving kids, families and communities across Oil Country
An additional $5.2 million has been committed to Standing Up for Oil Country partners through 2029.
"The support we've received from the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation—especially throughout 2025 and since the very beginning of the Ben Stelter Foundation—has meant more to us than words can truly express," said Mike Stelter, Executive Director, Ben Stelter Foundation. "Their belief in our mission and their willingness to stand alongside us has allowed us to reach families in moments when they need support the most. What the EOCF does goes far beyond funding—it brings hope, comfort, and light to the families we support, during the hardest chapters of their lives."
"We are honoured to partner with the EOCF," said Amanda Dubé, CEO, Dogs with Wings. "Their dedication to community enrichment ensures DWW Dogs receive exceptional veterinary care, specialized bodywork, and premium nutrition—the foundation of optimal health that allows them to support thousands of children, youth, first responders, and families each year. As the EOCF celebrates its 25th anniversary alongside our own 30th milestone, we recognize this alignment as a testament to our shared commitment to offer hope and possibility to many, for years to come."
WHERE THE MONEY CAME FROM—AND WHERE IT WENT
The EOCF's fiscal 2025 fundraising generated $20.8 million in net revenue to support charitable programs across Oil Country.
EOCF 50/50 Raffle
The EOCF 50/50 raffle, operated under AGLC license by registered gaming supplier Win50, generated $87.5 million in ticket sales in 2025, continuing as the largest 50/50 raffle in professional sports.
