Making a difference: Empowerment as an outcome of charity sport event participation

Abstract

Charity sport events provide charitable organizations with a mechanism in which the meaning and mission of the charity can be communicated to a large participant base. Making a difference, and affecting social change, represent objectives that can also be communicated. Accomplishing these objectives can be facilitated through empowering participants. The purpose of this research is to examine how charity sport events impact participant belief in advancing social change. Two studies were conducted to achieve this research purpose. First, quantitative data were collected to examine the proposition that attachment to the charity sport event mediates the relationship between recreation and charity motives and empowerment. Second, qualitative data were collected to further explore empowerment and potential contributing factors. Findings reveal empowerment as an outcome of charity sport event participation, with a number of different contributing factors