SurreyCares granted $10,535.69 to support the South Surrey Athletic Park’s track resurfacing project, which is now open for use by the community. The grant was made from the Race2Resurface Fund at SurreyCares. Organized by Ocean Athletics Track and Field Club in 2020, the Race2Resurface Fund was established to support the resurfacing of the South Surrey Athletic track in partnership with the City of Surrey.
Ocean Athletics Track and Field Club encourages excellence and increased participation in the sport of athletics (track and field) and running by providing an expert club that develops, promotes, and supports athletics (track and field) and running athletes of all ages and abilities. Opened in 2006, Ocean Athletics has grown to become one of British Columbia’s largest full-service track and field clubs, offering year-round programs for athletes seven years of age and older. The club is divided into the Seahorse Program (ages 7 & 8), the Junior Development Program (ages 9-13), the Midget through Senior Program (ages 14-34), and the Master's Program (ages 35 and above).
The Ocean Athletics Track and Field Club values -
Athlete focused programs led by qualified and dedicated coaches
Fun, inclusive, equitable, ethical, and drug-free sporting environment
Effective leadership, efficient administration, and strong business practices
Dedication, honesty, and integrity by all club members
Interaction and cooperation within the community
The South Surrey Athletic Park track was built and opened in 2005 with the City of Surrey. These types of athletic tracks usually last for eight years, but the club was able to keep the track operational for a good 16 years. In 2020 the club started the Race2Resurface project to resurface the track. The South Surrey Athletic Park track resurfacing is complete and is officially open for public use. The final line painting will happen later in the spring.
"We have worked with donors; we have worked with the Surrey Peace Arch Hospital, who gave us a $50,000 grant, and the city went from a $600,000 project to a $1.5M project. This will now be a facility where we can hold provincial championships,” stated Maureen de St. Croix, the Head Coach of Ocean Athletics Track and Field Club. “ We are so grateful for any support we get from the community. SurreyCares foundation provided a channel for our donors to help them donate, which is fantastic as we know surrey is an amazing community; it has lots of caring people, particularly for the youth of our city. Thank you to SurreyCares, Corix Infrastructure Inc., Peace Arch Hospital, and The City of Surrey.”
“We’re grateful for the opportunity to support Ocean Athletics Club in the resurfacing project at the South Surrey Athletic Park,” said Christine Buttkus, Executive Director of SurreyCares Community Foundation. “Bringing together donors and other partners to improve the health of Surrey’s residents is important to us.”