Whether they are helping victims and families in the aftermath of a tragic explosion, supporting nationwide and global campaigns in the fight against killer diseases or supporting one child to live a better life; across our continent, hockey players are showing that it is not all about winning matches and accolades. What follows are just a few examples of the many, many ways that hockey players get involved in charities and projects to help people within both the local community and across the world.
When Luciana Aymar heard about the gas explosion in the city of Rosario which killed 21 people, she had no hesitation in getting involved in a fund-raising effort to help the survivors, the injured and those who had lost their homes.
The Argentinian hockey star gathered together a team of international players and put on a charity match in the city. The tickets sold out rapidly and the takings were all donated to a special fund to help the victims (more information).
This is just one example of the ways in which hockey players, coaches and fans get themselves involved in charity work, be it to financially help those less fortunate; to raise funds for relief in disaster areas or to highlight and raise funds to support the work of charities fighting against disease, poverty or injustice.
The Canadian men’s hockey team is a squad that throws itself whole-heartedly into charity activities. Captain Scott Tupper and his men show their support for Movember each year and, while admittedly some of them look like throwbacks to the 70s, the team proudly display their facial hair for the whole of November.
The Movember movement is now a global phenomenon, with the primary aim of raising awareness of prostate cancer – one of the most prevalent diseases affecting men of all ages. To date, more than four million moustaches have been grown in the name of Movember, across 21 countries.
Tupper explains what Movember is all about: “It’s a fun way to support a great cause. My grandfather had prostate cancer, and most people know someone close to them who has been affected by the disease. So if I can help raise a few dollars, why not?
“Outside of Movember, I like to support the BC Professional Firefighters Burn Fund, which is based near Vancouver. They support those who have been injured and are recovering and dealing with the effects of burn injuries. My sister had an accident 13 years ago where she suffered significant third degree burns, and the people at the Burn Fund were a huge part of her recovery.”
Abigail Raye is a member of the Canadian women’s hockey team, and she has similar, personal motivations to get involved in fund-raising. “I try to get involved in as much charity work as I can. Most of charity work has been with the Canadian Cancer Society. I have captained a team at the yearly fundraising event Relay for Life, and during April, which is cancer awareness month, I have taken to the streets with some teammates to sell daffodils and daffodil pins to raise money and awareness for cancer research. I personally chose to get involved with the Canadian Cancer Society because I have lost loved ones to cancer, and know that cancer is a disease that touches many people. I encourage everyone to get involved in charity work. Especially as athletes, if we have the potential to attract more attention and awareness to a great cause then even better.”
A lesser known, but equally worthy charity is supported by Chilean team member, Francisca Pizarro. The player, who has been a member of the national team for three years, studied medicine and then specialized in child psychiatry. During her studies, Pizarro came across a project called Amandla, which is based in the north east area of South Africa, specifically in the Limpopo province, one of the poorest of the country.
Francisca Pizarro, who has taken a break from medicine to pursue a hockey career in Spain, decided to throw her support behind the project. She explains what Amandla is all about.
“Amandla is a Xhosa and Zulu word which means ‘power’, and it was a popular rallying cry in the days of resistance against the apartheid – the brutal system of enforced racial segregation that was the hallmark of South African society in the 1980s and 90s.
“This project tries to provide aid for children suffering extreme social vulnerability, by finding volunteers who would like to be some sort of ‘godparent’ and finance a part or their whole annual educational fees.”
Pizarro says that it was the vision of the project, which set so much store on using education as a vehicle for social mobility, that first appealed to her.
“It made me realize that the only way to really help these communities is by giving them tools to help themselves, and there is no better tool for this than education. I got involved in this project because I share its vision and like the idea of caring for one kid during their entire childhood and adolescence. My commitment is to help my ‘god-child’ in her education and hopefully be a part of her life for many years, so that one day she can set new standards in her community and family, and be better prepared to face the many challenges she has ahead of her.”
Charity work is a family affair for the Reinprecht family. Team USA athletes and sisters Julie and Katie support mother Tina with her sport-based charity Play4thecure. The charity aims to raise funds and awareness of breast cancer through running sporting events in colleges and communities.
The charity was founded in 2005 when Tina, who is a top level coach in Philadelphia, noticed that two mums were wearing hats to cover their hair loss when they dropped their daughters at training. She realised in that moment just how many women were quietly and uncomplainingly going through treatment and learning to cope with the life-threatening disease and decided that she could do something about it. The Team USA players regularly give their time to support Play4the cure.
A decade on and Play4theCure has now extended beyond field hockey so that Play4theCure events take place in lacrosse, basketball, ice-hockey and many other sports.
“We support Play4theCure whenever we are able, and I am so proud of Mum for the work she has done with this charity,” says Katie Reinprecht.
“As athletes and role models, this is one, very important way that we can give back to the community,” added the 25-year-old midfielder.
