PlayfulMinds Respite+ Wins Minto 2026 PitchIt Competition

A big idea, a meaningful mission, and a community that believes in it.

The Town of Minto announced PlayfulMinds Respite+ as the winner of the 2026 PitchIt Competition! This annual award is given to competing small businesses and startups and PlayfulMinds was one of seven entrants this year.

This recognition is a significant milestone for PlayfulMinds and an important recognition of the growing need for accessible, inclusive and individualized respite support in our community, and rural communities everywhere.

From an Idea to a Growing Community Resource

PlayfulMinds Respite+ was created with a simple belief: Everyone deserves the opportunity to connect, belong, learn, play, and build independence. 

Families raising children and adult loved ones with special needs and varying abilities and needs face many barriers in finding meaningful respite, recreational opportunities and social connections for their loved ones. And nowhere is this more critical than in small towns and rural communities. They encounter limited local programming, high costs, long waitlists, and almost always have to travel outside the community to access the right respite supports. 

PlayfulMinds is changing that, making compassionate respite care a local resource.

Through individualized respite, social opportunities, camps, and community-based programming, we are creating welcoming spaces where individuals build confidence, develop skills, form community connections and, most importantly, enjoy being themselves.

A Win for Our Community

PitchIt provided an incredible opportunity to share the PlayfulMinds vision and the need we see within our community.

Winning the competition is more than an exciting business achievement, it is an example of a community supporting work that matters and reaches out to the more vulnerable and fosters a true spirit in our community.