The Calgary Flames Sports Bank van parked outside their warehouse to drop off donated equipment. (Alex Fercho, CMRU.ca)
From Done
It’s a common occurrence in Calgary homes. Pieces of used sports equipment spending their days as exceptionally expensive paperweights buried in basements and the back corners of a closet. However, what was once believed to be the end of the road for some sporting goods can be so much more to a child who has not had the chance to play. That dusty pair of skates or those barely used running shoes that do not mean much to you can mean the world to a mom or dad who has always wanted to get their child into sports but just could not afford it. The feeling of not being able to play the sport you have always wanted to is a feeling that Brody Norton, Manager of Operations and Outreach at the Calgary Flames Sports Bank, knows all too well. When asked why he works for the Sports Bank, he said “I was that kid who didn’t get to play particular sports when I was a kid…I wanted to play hockey my whole life but couldn’t because…the gear was too expensive.” Since then, he has made it a mission to make sure no kid or parent has to go through that.
To Fun
A common misconception with the Calgary Flames Sports Bank is that they only take in hockey equipment but, if it’s in good enough condition, they take in all kinds of equipment including:
- Soccer
- Lacrosse
- Ski
Regardless of what sport they want to get into, Norton says every kid that comes in is super grateful for the opportunity to get into sports. Speaking on if any of the families that he’s helped out stick out as being special to him, “All the kids that we see here, the kids are always incredibly grateful and excited to get the gear.” Rest assured that if you have old gear in your house that you do not use, it will go to a good place when it is donated to the Calgary Flames Sports Bank. If you have any piece of equipment at your house that is no longer in use, it will do a lot of good for a family if you drop it off at a donation center.
If you yourself are looking for equipment from the Calgary Flames Sports Bank for your child, do not hesitate to reach out to them by email or phone to set up an appointment.
Looking Back
When we were given this project, I was excited to have creative control taken away a bit and forced to communicate with an organization about what they wanted and how I would best give their desired video back in return. For those that are curious, our class reached out to various community partners in Calgary and we had to create a piece of media for them. Whether it was an ad or a PSA, we had to bend to what they wanted. In my experience, it was a video call with Brody and the Sports Bank’s Marketing Specialist, Madi. They were looking for an ad to use for their social media channels and, as such, had to be fairly short and shot vertically. Once we agreed on what kind of video would be done, I set up a time to go to the Sports Bank warehouse and film their intake process. With the help of Brody’s son, we were able to film a sizing session. I, then, accompanied Brody to Big 4 Motors and filmed a drop off at the bin they have set up there. Once filming was done, it was a lot of editing and emailing with Brody to see if he had any notes or concerns. The video above is the finished product that we both love. I have definitely developed an appreciation for how long it takes to make an ad, even one as small as this one. From initial inquiry to final product, that two minute video above took two months and five days. I loved working with Brody and everyone at the Calgary Flames Sports Bank. I do sincerely hope they enjoyed working with me and hope they use this video in some capacity.
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