Thank you for your support of "The Hockey Volunteer"TM. This initiative has now become THE HOCKEY FOUNDATION. Please visit hockeyfoundation.org and support "sharing happiness & changing lives, one puck at a time."
The success of this program is contingent upon the support of warm-hearted, idealistic people & everyone listed above fits that description! Please return the favor and visit their websites and see what they are up to and writing about!
If you have a website and have written about this program, please tell me & I'll link back (plus I want to thank you for your support)! If you would like to write something on your website, please contact me as well, as I'm more than happy and available to contribute to your blog.
I received an email today from SECMOL, requesting hockey sticks (mostly lefty, some righty), skates (men's 6-9), and protective equipment. If you have extra equipment you are able to donate, please contact me immediately.
That being said, the more money raised for this trip, the more money I will be able to use to purchase the equipment requested from local stores & pro-shops. There are a handful of places I can pick up equipment that meets the needs of the village.
SPONSORSHIP OPTIONS
The value in sponsorship in sports has been debated at times, but I am in full belief that a sponsorship done right is valuable for all parties, the sponsor, the sponsored, and the consumer. This is no exception. The consumers are not only the villagers in Ladakh, Kahmir, who will see that citizens and businesses all over the world care about their welfare, but to the people that see this website, articles that will be posted in newspapers, magazines and television programs, the book I am writing about this initiative, and in the collateral presented to major corporations, NGOs, and governmental bodies when I return and apply for grants.
Available sponsorship packages include:
Track suit: logo branding/co-branding available for on-ice outfit - $1,000/suit - 3 available
Hat: co-branded hat(s) worn on AND off the ice as it's very convenient - $500/hat - 2 available
Clothing: I have to wear something, so a few shirts with your logo on it will be worn often - $500/shirt - 5 available
Village Hockey Equipment: Equipment companies can donate the equipment as specified above, but please contact me first to arrange details
Volunteer Hockey Equipment: If your company wants to outfit me in your equipment, I will only be bringing 2 sticks, hockey gloves, and hockey skates (I own a brand new pair of Eastons & a beat-up pair of CCM Pro Tacks - I haven't decided which I'm brining, but I would prefer to bring my own skates). That leaves gloves and sticks, as well as a hockey bag and the smaller accessories, like tap, wax, Sweet Stick and/or SkateMate, Blade Tape, etc.). Please contact me first to arrange details.
Sports Memorabilia: This is actually a very helpful donation if done quickly. Any memorabilia donated will be auctioned off towards the program. Auctions take time, and there are fees involved, so larger ticket items that can be shipped quickly are most helpful.
Website Sponsor: The face of this project (other than my face), is this website. Sponsoring my page will give you prominant placement and link-backs. - $5,000
Full-shabang (for equipment companies): If your company wants to be THE sponsor of The Hockey Volunteer, it will include 3 Branded Track Suits, 2 Branded Hats, 5 Branded Shirts, 1 pair of Hockey Gloves, 1 Bundle of Sticks, 1 Hockey Bag, Website/print-collateral, 20 sticks for the village, 10 pairs of skates, an assortment of equipment. This sponsorship package is associated with the Ladakh trip only, and all activites and publications related to that trip. - $15,000
If you have other thoughts for sponsorship or donations, please contact me. All sponsorship packages must be approved by me in advance (contact info on the right side), so as to not wear anything offensive or conflicting. Once agreed upon, sponsors will donate through the ChipIn client (also on the right side), and will write in the comments box what they are sponsoring.
Example: Your company is sponsoring 1 track suit ($1,000) & 1 hat ($500). You'll email adam[at]hockeyvolunteer[dot]org that your company meets the standards (not offensive to anyone/any culture and is not a conflict of interest - which there are few of). Once that has been approved, you will donate on the ChipIn client, select to donate $1,500, and write in "Sponsoring 1 track suit & 1 hat".
It's that easy & affordable, and your contribution will go a long way!
I have just posed another auction on ebay. It is of an autographed, game-used stick from Angela Ruggiero during the 2006 Winter Olympics (pictured). Angela was kind enough to donate this rare & valuable stick to support the cause.
ALL proceeds from the auction will be used towards this program.
This is a story about the Chicago Blackhawks players foregoing an extra day with their families around Thanksgiving after a long road-trip, and taking 2 coach buses 110 miles north into rural Ontario to support their mourning GM, who's father passed away.
On the way back, they stopped into a local McDonald's, like my high school football team did on a return bus home from the North Fork of Long Island way back when, and signed autographs for the kids coincidentally trading cards of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane - while enjoying their Big Macs.
When I mentioned in my earlier post (Who am I and why do I love hockey?) that hockey has the highest level of sportsmanship, this is what I meant (it's mentioned in the Chicago Tribune article as well, in addition to the plethora of blogs/articles covering this act of kindness)!
These guys understand the value of loyalty and respect, and what it means to do the right thing. They sacrificed their own pleasure and relaxation to support their boss. It's a lesson we should all take to heart, because on top of loyalty, respect and sacrifice, it teaches selflessness and shows maturity.
I say this with no exaggeration: I have become a Blackhawks fan because of this.
I hope this is as inspiring for you as it is for me.
I hope what we are trying to achieve with this volunteer program together is also inspiring. Every child should learn these type of lessons in life - and hockey consistently proves to be a great medium to communicate just those values.
I just returned from Green Drinks NYC Island to Island Holiday Party (greendrinksnyc.org), where I met a handful of people as idealistic and enthusiastic as I am about my trip to India. It's very difficult to remain motivated through your idealism and passion when others can't understand, or flat-out insult, what you are trying to do (pessimism is one of the worst traits in people). Fortunately, when you meet peoplewith deep, vibrant enthusiasm and optimism - if not idealism - it's a blessing. Those are the people I am trying to call to action to support my cause!
YOU!
The praise and energy I received from people today will continue to motivate me through this journey, but I need your help. Please donate...I am looking to depart in less than 2 weeks!
Shout-outs to supporters that are putting positive energy into the Universe:
C.C. Chapman - Managing Partner of The Advance Guard - Blogger, Podcaster & all-around great guy (@cc_chapman, cc-chapman.com, theadvanceguard.com) - for giving some pointers and showing general support, and indirectly being responsible for this journey thanks to his podcast Managing the Gray (check it out on iTunes)!
Sammy - former schoolmate & teammate on the Red Dogs (college roller hockey team) for donating
Eric - also former schoolmate & teammate on the Red Dogs (college roller hockey team) for donating
Angela Ruggiero (mentioned many times on this blog) - she got me hired straight out of my internship with the Islanders specifically to work with her on Project Hope, and we remain close ever since. That is something I will be eternally greatful for, and I am proud to call her my friend. Get ready for Angela Ruggiero hockey camps!
Julie - one of my best friends in the world who has endured every stupid act and idea of mine, but still continues to support, for donating and being a loyal friend in so many ways!
The folks I met today at Green Drinks were amazing, and I am incredibly appreciative that I had the honor of meeting and speaking with you. There are a few in particular that really stood out, and in due time will get their shout-outs!
My Mother, for her understanding of the reasons why I need to do this.
*footnote:
"Realistic Idealist" is a phrase I have been using for some time now. John McCain used it in a speech during his campaign. Without getting into politics (although my political affiliation is probably apparent through my idealism, I did not start using it after him, and only realized he used it when I did a Google search on the phrase. What I'm saying is: John McCain copied me.
If you are interested in learning about my background with youth hockey development, in particular internationally, I would like to refer to you to Charles B. Wang Ice Hockey Project Hope (www.nyiprojecthope.com). I had the distinct pleasure of going to China with Angela Ruggiero (www.angelruggiero.com), 3-time Olympian for Team USA in hockey, former Apprentice (season 6) contestant, and all around amazing person. Together we visited the schools in Heilongjiang Province that we were providing hockey resources to. Here is our recap from the Project Hope website. Be sure to visit nyiprojecthope.com & browse around to get a clear understanding of how much hockey can improve a kids life! I hope after seeing some pictures and reading the messages from the kids, you will be interested in donating to my cause for kids in Ladakh to have a similar experience!
Project Hope Journal 1/22/07 By Angela and Adam
We're back from China, and after almost two weeks, what we miss the most is the hospitality. Everywhere we went (all 8 schools), we were greeted with open arms, by local and school officials, and many students that were supposed to be on winter break (but came back just to see us and spend some time on the ice). The outdoor rinks have become a center to the respective communities, and the kids in our Project Hope schools, (elementary school age) skate over 5 days a week! Their smiles on the ice made it easy to ignore that it was as cold and windy as the Great Lakes region. We took them through some basic skating and puck handling drills, and then we got into the fun, reminding everyone (including the adults standing around the rinks) that hockey, above all else, is fun.
Other than skating with the Project Hope students, we also had the opportunity to scout our prospective scholarship candidates in Harbin and Qiqihar. Twenty (about ten in each city) of the best teenage boys and girls skated their hearts out for over an hour, in an intense tryout. Not only were their hockey skills put to the test (and a fair amount of stamina testing to go along with it), but an interview was conducted in English to determine whether they were ready to study at a school for a full academic year. While their hockey skills were impressive, it was clear that everyone needed more work on English. Before anyone spends a full year in America, we'll bring over a few students for the summer in an intensive ESL program, allowing them to experience the United States first hand. The opportunity to play hockey will also be important, and the students will be able to put many hours of hard work on the ice, after they do so on paper.
In our meetings with local officials, it became clear how important Project Hope has become to the lives of so many people. In some cases, over 100 students get the opportunity to learn hockey at their school. Hockey has become a class worth academic credit, and in the best of scenarios, Project Hope hockey players have been given a clear path to success. In Qiqihar, a memo was issued on behalf of the Sports and Education Bureaus, mandating that a specific system be implemented to assist these scholar athletes any way possible. We hope that the civic governments in each area, along with the Project Hope schools, can follow suit, allowing more students the opportunity to play hockey, study English five days a week, and continue to receive the funding and support of their local governments.
Whether it was the center city of Harbin, Jiamusi and Qiqihar, or a surrounding town, each community had a unique culture. The sense of family and community dominates the social character and culture, and the group lunches and dinners gave us the opportunity to become members of the community. We spent a lot of time getting to know everyone personally (through a translator, of course), and found that while our cultures are as different as can be, there are some things that we all share in common. First, and most obvious, we're all human. Sometimes, we forget what that means, but it's important. Whether you live on Long Island or in Heilongjiang, everybody wishes to be happy and successful (culturally subjective), have a long life, and wish the same for our children. Going beyond that, we all love hockey. One of the many goals of Project Hope is to cross borders using hockey as the international language. It is a sport unlike anything in the world, requiring a whole new sense of transportation just to be able to communicate. As hockey history has proven, any team can be superior once the puck drops, as long as there is a balance of talent, discipline, structure, creativity and fun. This understanding of hockey is universal, and if it ever becomes less, it will no longer be hockey.
The success lies, though, on everyone involved in Project Hope. We will continue to build rinks and provide as much equipment as possible, but at the same time, we're requesting that anyone willing to help makes a donation or other contributions in support. There is information on the web page specifying how YOU can help.
Stay tuned for more news on Project Hope. We have an exciting future and many more plans. The next invitational is scheduled for January 17-18, 2008. ANY teams interested should fill out our form. Maybe we'll even sponsor a team to compete in China. Start working on your Chinese.
That post was from 2007, after we returned from China. Many of the things we wrote about in that letter is exactly what I wrote in my blog here, and once again, I need your support. If you can, please donate.
Special thanks to the Allan and Rolly at Nasty Hockey Show for being strong advocates for this program, and putting together this broadcast. Please check it out!
Awesome quote from their website: "I’ll match your contributions up to a total of $200. Just leave a comment on this blog with what you have donated."
Thank you guys!
Special thanks to Sarah Elizabeth Foster of www.sarahelizabethfoster.com for doing this interview, supporting the cause, and donating! (NOTE: I mention in the video I'll be leaving by the New Year. My departure date is now set at 1/12/09!)
Donate
Personal checks & money orders are accepted for those that bank offline. To make this type of donation, please fill out the contact form.
