KidsFest was founded in 2000 by retired Canadian Football League player, Brian Warren, as a not-for-profit organization committed to helping bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots amongst Canada's children. Since then, KidsFest has had an impact on over 20,000 children nationally through its various activities and education-based programs.

2000 - 2003

Hundreds of children experienced our unique Children's Festivals, geared towards addressing the needs of countless inner city children and their families who live at or below the poverty line in Ontario. One of KidsFest's longest running initiatives has been the Bayfront Park Children's Festival, which places value on the spirit of our children. With its many fun “zones” which include interactive learning, sports, games and challenges, and its entertaining shows and exhibits , the festival invests in the potential that can be found in every child.

Schools in the poorest school districts received hundreds of backpacks filled with much needed school supplies through our annual “School Kits" Backpack Program. This initiative has been so widely received that the number of schools and backpacks increased from 100 in the first year to 1,000 in year 3.

Over one hundred children each year have attended our Academic Summer Discovery Camps for an eight week period, where they receive specialized, curriculum-specific instruction and physical education from Board-Certified Ontario teachers.

2004 - Present

The KidsFest “Running and Reading Club” program was launched in January 2004, and currently operates in 10 cities across Canada. The program has been so successful that we have increased from one school in 2004 to the 15 we are now currently in. Over 1,000 children are eligible to participate, but due to limited resources we cannot keep up with the requests from students who have applied.

The “Pay-it-Forward Speaking Series”, our most recently launched project, works directly with school principals to help spark the imagination and hope of inner city children. Hundreds of students each month in the Greater Toronto Area are exposed to professionals from all walks o f life who encourage them to dream big dreams and make even bigger plans to achieve them.