Calgary
Twelve kids, one arena, a lot of noise
A donated block of Flames seats took a whole after-school program to their first NHL game. Most had never been inside the Saddledome.
Chapters · Calgary
Toronto seats,
filled by Toronto kids.
Kids Up Front Calgary is where the organization started in 2000. Every ticket donated here stays here, placed through more than 150 agencies working across the city.
About our Toronto chapter
Kids Up Front Toronto began with a simple observation - there were empty seats at plays, while many kids across Toronto didn’t have the opportunity to experience them. The idea was first sparked in Toronto by high school English teacher Lindsay Oughtred, who loved taking her students to plays and introduced a new idea to her school resulting in buying tickets for kids at other schools who couldn’t afford to attend. The response showed just how meaningful these experiences could be and how much potential there was to make the idea bigger.
Lindsay began researching how to create a more organized way to connect unused tickets and experiences with kids who otherwise might miss out. She discovered Kids Up Front in Calgary and set out to bring the model to Toronto. Over the next 18 months, a board was assembled, early donors and supporters were secured, and the foundation for a new organization was built. In 2006, Kids Up Front Toronto opened its doors, with a simple but powerful mission: turn empty seats into unforgettable experiences for kids who might otherwise never have the chance.
150+
Partner agencies in the city
2000
Year the chapter was founded
100%
Of donated seats stay local
Chapter office
25 Dockside Drive
Toronto, ON M5A 0B5
Lindsay Oughtred, Executive Director
Toronto supporters
Teams, venues, promoters and companies who donate seats or underwrite the chapter's work.
Programs
Four ways donated tickets reach Calgary kids.
Ticket Access
The core program. Donated seats to Flames, Hitmen, Roughnecks, Stampede, Arts Commons and dozens of other venues are offered to partner agencies, who pass them to the families they support.
Family Nights
Blocks of seats reserved so an agency can bring a whole group together — a shelter, a newcomer program, a hospital ward — rather than a single family at a time.
Youth Recreation
Season passes and admission vouchers for skating, swimming, climbing and drop-in sport, placed with youth who would otherwise sit out the season.
Arts & Culture
Theatre, symphony, gallery and festival tickets, plus occasional workshops and behind-the-scenes visits with the companies who donate them.
Special events
The chapter's own fundraising calendar. Sponsorship and table sales open roughly two months ahead of each date.
March
Seats & Sweets
An evening of dessert, live auction and stories from the agencies who place our tickets. Calgary’s largest fundraiser of the year.
July
Stampede Breakfast
Ten days of pancakes, partners and donated Stampede admissions for families across the city.
November
Season Ticket Drive
A push to sign corporate and individual season ticket holders up for standing donations before the winter schedule fills.
Support Kids Up Front Calgary
Tickets
Donate Calgary tickets
Flames, Hitmen, Roughnecks, Stampede, Arts Commons, Theatre Calgary, WinSport passes and more. Single pairs or full season blocks.
- 1
Email the Calgary office with the event, date, quantity and seat details.
- 2
Transfer electronically, or drop physical tickets at the Kahanoff Centre office.
- 3
Send proof of purchase and Calgary issues a tax receipt for the base ticket price.
Same-day donations are accepted until noon on the day of the event. For weekend events, please send tickets by noon on Friday.
Cash
Give cash to Calgary
Gifts to this chapter cover transportation, meals and the seats Calgary buys when donations fall short of demand.
$25
One kid, one game
$100
A family night out
$500
A school group at the Stampede
Give monthly
Monthly gifts let the Calgary team commit to season-long blocks of tickets in advance.
Become a monthly donorCalgary corporate and season ticket holders
Set up a standing donation so unused Flames, Hitmen, Roughnecks or Arts Commons seats are offered automatically, with a single year-end receipt and an annual impact summary for your team.
Kids Up Front does not tolerate ticket scalping. It is against our policies for donated tickets to be resold for profit by an agency or a recipient.