While enduring the COVID-19 pandemic, it might be important to note that the natural flow of society will return.

It is expected that restaurants, bars, retail stores and sports leagues will re-open everywhere at some point, opening the door for residents to have a reprieve from social isolation and physical distancing.

The question to think about is what will happen once everything does?

Specifically, for sports leagues, the answer is still up in the air. Leagues will return and while some families have had the bitter result of losing their jobs, the loss of income will still be felt.

That means the opportunity for a child to participate in a recreational activity might also be lost when things return to normal.

Aurora residents and Re/Max Real Estate Sales Representative Angie Vallelunga and Broker Mauro Bucci have made a concerted effort with Sport Aurora's All Kids Can Play Program, with the hopes to raise a total of $25,000 in the process.

“We thought about the program in the fall because we were looking to support a charity in our community since we just moved to Aurora close to four years ago,” Vallelunga told The Auroran.

Bucci, who is a member of Aurora Business Association (BIA), heard of All Kids Can Play from good-friend and General Manager of Aw, Shucks Mary Georgopoulos.

Mary has long been involved in the All Kids Can Play Program and connected the realtors with Laurie Mueller, the program's Executive Director.

Both realtors began this program in January as their third donation project and fourth since they began donating in 2009. They both currently donate money in support of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and Sick Kids. Previously, they donated to the Canadian Cancer Society. However, their intentions are now strictly on helping children.

“Basically, what we want is to help out our future and the kids are our future. We felt, having children of our own, it was important to help out kids in need,” said Bucci.

Bucci says they were originally going to donate through the process of referrals. For every referral that is sent, $500 is donated. In the long run, Bucci and Vallelunga discovered that wouldn't be practical because not every referral was out of Aurora and not everyone uses their services.

So, along with the referral program, both agents have established another method of donating.

“We're also contributing through every sale transaction that we do. There is a portion of our income that will be donated to the program,” Vallelunga said.

It's the same method used to donate to the other two charities and both agents wish to do the same for this one.

In 2019, All Kids Can Play supported approximately 60 children across the Town to play recreational sports. Bucci and Vallelunga want to double that, triple that, even quadruple that if it meant to help as many children as possible through this program, for families who cannot afford for their children to play.

“What we love about this program is helping the families that can't afford to really make their kids play in order to keep them active and healthy, which is extremely important since electronics are consuming too much of their time,” Vallelunga said.

Both love the community of Aurora and say they are honoured to live in it. They planned on giving back and this is their means of accomplishing that goal.

With the mission set at $25,000, only time will tell how long it will take to complete it.

“We do not know if it will it take one year, two years, three years to accomplish our objective but one thing is for sure we are extremely committed to make it happen,” Vallelunga said.

Right now, it's all about the children playing and helping families.

In this period of uncertainty, Vallelunga and Bucci urge the support of local businesses.

To enquire about the program further, call 416-998-9891.

For any real estate enquires, you can visit www.MEandANG.com.

By Robert Belardi