By Geena Monahan—For the North Star Reporter
A single mother of three in North Attleborough, Kara Coyle was faced with a difficult decision: How do you tell your child they can’t keep playing the sport they love because you can no longer afford it?
That’s where ConfiKids stepped in, a non-profit established in 2017 by founder and Executive Director Rachel Calabrese. The organization provides financial assistance for extracurricular activities for families facing financial difficulties.
On July 1, ConfiKids hit a major milestone, reaching $1 million in aid for families in Bristol, Barnstable, Norfolk and Plymouth counties. ConfiKids gives up to $1,000 per child to pursue their passion, which can be sports, the arts—any extracurricular activity.
Kara Coyle spoke with the North Star Reporter about the difference that ConfiKids made in the lives of her children, especially her hockey-loving daughter, 9-year-old Cadence Coyle.
“I have three kids in sports. They were already enrolled in ice hockey prior to things happening in my life, so it’s like ‘how do you tell your kids you can’t afford that anymore?’” said Kara Coyle. “It was great to find this program to help supplement and cover some of those expenses.”
Cadence Coyle has received a scholarship two years in a row to play on the North Attleborough Devils hockey team. One of her brothers received a scholarship to play lacrosse in 2020, though the season was canceled due to the COVID pandemic.
Calabrese said an important part of ConfiKids is to stay with the same children up to eighth grade; not just for sports, but all extracurriculars. One student, whose trumpet lessons were funded through ConfiKids, went on to play for the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s youth division.
“When we open up our (fiscal) quarter, our first priority is to the families that have been with us,” said Calabrese. “The reason being, we don’t want to have a kid who is working really hard, gets to a certain level, and then rip those funds away.”
“She’s formed such great bonds with the kids….it’s helped her create friendships, and that’s been awesome to see. She did this amazing speech at the gala all by herself, and she talked about how being on the ice builds her confidence and how coach uses her as a model.”
-Kara Coyle
According to Kara Coyle, her daughter playing hockey has not only helped to keep her on an even playing field with other players as they approach more competitive levels, but has also had a profound effect on her confidence. Kara said that her daughter has met some of her best friends through the hockey club, and was even able to give a speech at the ConfiKids’ 2025 gala. She wrote and delivered the speech herself, next to professional hockey player and Olympic gold medalist Kacey Bellamy.
“She has so much love for this sport, and her confidence has just really grown being able to participate in and be on teams,” said Kara Coyle. “She’s formed such great bonds with the kids….it’s helped her create friendships, and that’s been awesome to see. She did this amazing speech at the gala all by herself, and she talked about how being on the ice builds her confidence and how coach uses her as a model.”
Support for ConfiKids
Starting as a $40,000-a-year operation that supported 142 children, ConfiKids has grown to support more than 2,000 children, fundraising throughout the year to reach its annual goal of $200,000. A spring gala, the Falmouth Road Race, Brockton Rox night and other grassroots campaigns are ConfiKids’ main source of revenue.
The Rodman Ride for Kids is another local fundraiser that ConfiKids relies on each year, and Penny and Elliotte Peters are two North Attleborough sisters who participated in this year’s ride in support of the non-profit. Both students at Community Elementary School, they ran a lemonade and book sale fundraiser at their home on May 4, and surpassed their goal of $150 each to raise $400 in advance of the May 17 bike ride.
“We all know how expensive it is to put our kids in sports, and it’s really sad if your kids can’t participate in any of that,” said Meaghan Peters, mother of Penny and Elliotte Peters. “There’s a lot of statistics around how when kids are able to participate in and find what they love, it not only builds their confidence, but it builds their community, and they are more likely to stay engaged in school. For a lot of these older kids, it’s what keeps them in school.”
“It makes me feel good and makes me feel like I’m making a change,” said Penny Peters.
In honor of reaching $1 million in funding, Calabrese hopes to help 40 to 60 more children in addition to the ones they’ve already committed to. The Spier Family Foundation, a family organization out of Foxboro who funds local non-profits, has pledged to match up to $10,000 in donations for this year.
“We’ve only begun, but like everything else, it comes down to funding. We’ve just started to scratch the surface on grants,” said Calabrese. “In June, we had 35 fundraisers, not just from us, but from so many volunteers hosting different fundraisers, which is great. Hopefully we’ll get to a situation where we’re able to fund more kids and expand our region.”
In order to apply for funding through ConfiKids, a student must be in grade one through eight. Financial burden can be shown via proof of SNAP benefits, or a letter for free or reduced lunch in a Massachusetts school. From there, Calabrese said there’s no limit on what a child can apply for.
“It’s wherever they find their community, their people, we will fund it,” said Calabrese. “If you don’t have the money to participate, you miss out on everything: teammates, friends, and lessons about how to be a teammate.”