Gasper Family Foundation sharing ideas for outdoor play

The memories of a Rosetown family and their love of outdoor play are being kept alive through a new project aiming to encourage more families to have fun together.

The Gasper family lost their lives tragically in a two-vehicle collision in June of 2018. Troy, 26, Carissa, 28, and their children Kael, 6, Shea, 4, and Maks, 2, died when their SUV collided with another vehicle head-on near Elrose in a crash that also claimed the life of 71-year-old Carolynne Gould of Swift Current.

Since then, the Gasper Family Foundation has worked to support community projects that will bring families together through play. The foundation’s first project, a splash park in Rosetown, opened last summer, but the COVID-19 restrictions on parks meant the foundation had to get a bit more creative when it comes to encouraging play.

“The Play More Campaign officially launched on Monday,” foundation secretary Danielle Pearce told CKOM/CJME’s John Gormley. “Every Monday in the month of May we will be announcing a new outdoor activity for families to play together.”

Pearce said the foundation has a social media following that extends across Canada, so it was important to keep the activities inclusive, accessible, and most of all, fun.

“All of the activities can be done in your own yard, with household items that most families have on hand,” Pearce said.

The first outdoor play idea was stained-glass themed sidewalk chalk art, and Pearce said the foundation has already received many photos of creative artworks families created together.

The Play More Campaign may extend past May, Pearce added, if the foundation sees enough interest from the public. Anyone wishing to join in the fun, she said, can find the Gasper Family Foundation on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.