2008 has been a great year for Sport Yukon's Kids Recreation Fund.

Not only has the fund helped more than 450 youth in the territory since April, but it also increased the amount of money given out on an individual basis per year by $200.

The good news continued this week with a CIBC Wood Gundy donation in the amount of $5,100.

"It is extremely important because all funds donated go directly to the children," said Megan Freese, Sport Yukon's program co-ordinator about the donation.

"There is no administration costs or anything like that that come out of these donations, so it will go to support our youth in getting them into activities."

This year, the Kids Rec. Fund has had a lot of success getting its name out there in the territory and has benefited from events like October's Super Sweat, which was held at the Canada Games Centre and donated all of the proceeds to the program.

The rec. program has also raised close to $4,000 thanks to a coffee fund set up by the City of Whitehorse at the Canada Games Centre. The coffee fund has been ongoing since September.

The Kids Rec. Fund was established in 1999 to assist families that are under financial hardship with getting their kids involved in sport, art, cultural or other recreational programs.

Applicants must fill out a form and Sport Yukon requires proof of income, which is $45,000 or less, as well as a copy of a youth's birth certificate or healthcare card.

The fund gives $500 per youth per year.

Since 1999, The Kids Recreation Fund has helped more than 4,000 youth.

The Yukon Territorial Government is the largest contributor to the rec fund and donates $200,000 on an annual basis.

CIBC Wood Gundy has donated to the program in the past. The CIBC World Markets children's foundation is a charitable trust that distributes funds raised on Miracle Day to children's charities all across Canada. Miracle Day is the first Wednesday of each December.

Since it's creation in 1984, Miracle Day has raised more than $190 million.

"We do a lot of work in the Yukon and when we heard about the Kids Rec. Fund a couple of years ago, we thought that it would fit in really nicely with the programs that we support here in B.C. and across the country with our Miracle Day," said Dean Knoblauch, chartered. financial analyst at CIBC Wood Gundy in a press release. "We are happy to be able to to support a community that has been so good to us."