“When I came to the North Stars I was only 19,” said current president and former North Star Brad Maxwell. “We’d go out and do certain charity events that the North Stars would put on,“ he continued. “It was awesome because it’s always nice to give back which is why I’m doing this alumni stuff too, it is just kind of who I am.”

“I appreciate the people that came out and spent hard earned dollars to watch me play a game I like to play, so you’ve got to give back to them for the times they came out and participated for us, so we need to go out and help them out in return,” explained the Brandon, Manitoba native.

Although the team hasn’t been around for nearly 20 years, the North Stars and the Minnesota NHL Alumni Association continue to get sensational support from the old fans and the residents of Minnesota, despite now having the Minnesota Wild to call their own. The Alumni Association continues to raise money year after year for many various charities and youth hockey teams throughout Minnesota.

“Being a non-profit organization we don’t pay our alumni anything, they come out on their own to participate and give back,” Maxwell elucidated. “We give the money away at the end of the year, whether it be through a scholarship or local youth hockey,” he continued.

“We’re starting to look at different situations to participate in and get involved with around Minnesota. We’ve been kind of like a lost sheep since the North Stars left and went to Dallas,” he stated. “We are kind of affiliated with the Wild and were working on bettering that, but for an alumni that doesn’t really have a team, we do pretty well. We’ve raised over $400,000 that we’ve donated to different organizations at different times over the years.”

Already making such a positive impact in the hockey community and helping out as many local charities throughout Minnesota as they can, the Alumni Association is starting to focus on other ways to help out within the community to branch out to more people in Minnesota and want to incorporate the Minnesota Wild into their plans as much as possible.

“We’ve been more into the minor hockey side of things but now we want to take a look at a 30-day program here where they help people with their mortgage payments,” explained Maxwell.

“Sometimes people just need 30 days to get help to get them back on their feet so we want to look into that and get involved with that because we want to start branching out as an Alumni Association,” he proceeded.

“We’re also looking into working more with the Wild to set up more charity events and hospital visits, just things like that.”

Brad Maxwell took over for former NHL defenseman Tom Reid as the president of the Minnesota NHL Alumni Association and hopes to continue the success that the Alumni Association has accomplished over the years. With the improvement in technology, Maxwell does not take anything for granted and continues to praise Reid for what he accomplished without a lot of the things we have today that make our lives that much easier.

“I took over for Tom [Reid] who did this for twelve years and I still don’t know how he did it by himself,” expressed Maxwell. “Back in the day it was all phone calls and not a lot of Internet, but now we’re lucky enough to be able to use the Internet to email guys with current events that are coming up.”

“I love that the players donate their time and it’s really impressive that they don’t want to be paid, they just want to donate their time to help out.”

When the North Stars packed up their bags and relocated to Dallas, all of the memorabilia from the years of their existence was packed up and sent with the team to their new home. Maxwell’s biggest goal for himself as president is to bring the memorabilia back to Minnesota where it once called home.

“When the North Stars moved to Dallas in ’93 a lot of our memorabilia went with them and I think that I’m going to make it a personal deal for myself to retrieve some of that,” declared Maxwell. “I know that Dallas has a lot of it in their arena down there and I just don’t understand why they would want it since they are a team that has won a Stanley Cup and have their own identity.“

Whether or not the Minnesota NHL Alumni Association gets the memorabilia back, they will continue to move forward to find out more ways that they can be of some help to the people of Minnesota and continue to serve the community they’ve been supporting and has supported them for the last 25 years.

To learn more about the Minnesota NHL Alumni Association, visit http://mnnhlalumni.com/

“71 Athletics is a footwear company that I came up with by having the opportunity of working in Detroit with a PAL football league, which was a league with a lot of kids coming from single parent homes. A lot of parents are already struggling to sign the kid up and then you tell them they have to outfit them, buy them shoes and things of that nature in able to compete,” Tharpe explained.

“We had mothers telling us about buying $50-$60 shoes that will be worn for 8-10 games at most so when I came up with 71 Athletics I found a manufacturer that could produce decent shoes that could be sold at an affordable price. I wanted to be able to put something out there that I would be proud of, even in the NFL,” he continued.

In many communities organized sport is a primary way to keep the youth active while engaging them in a competitive and educational state of mind. In states such as Michigan especially around the Detroit area, locals have been faced with tight financial stability as of late, with many questioning the city’s future and importance to the American economy; a circumstance that is far out of reach for locals and youth looking to contribute and connect within society, something that can be found through organized sport.

“My goal is to give everybody an equal opportunity in whatever it may be because sports is huge for the community and bringing people together. That’s the one time whether you dislike somebody or not, you both have the same goal and that’s to win. It kind of blends us together, so I saw an opportunity there,” says Tharpe.

Faced with many adversities on his way to professional football, Larry Tharpe gives credit and praise to those around him who gave him the opportunity to live the dream so many young Americans dreamt about.

“Well it’s important to me because somebody gave Larry Tharpe a chance so I believe in paying it forward. Somebody gave me the opportunity and we always forget about those we leave behind,” the offensive tackle mentioned.

“I had not even played one down of college football going into the spring and Rob Ryan had just got hired to our coaching staff and saw me running and said to me ‘You can go to college and get a job or you can play this game that pays you a nice ransom,’” he elucidated.

“So I perfected my craft and the rest was history.”

Although Tharpe chose to pursue his dream of playing professional football, he encourages and supports education as it is an essential tool to becoming successful.

“I’m one of those guys that understood that hard work pays off because nobody’s going to give you anything, but if you work towards something it can happen,” Tharpe explained. “I don’t talk against school because it’s essential, but they can go together, school and athletics go together, that’s why we’re called student athletes and student comes first, it always does,” he proceeded.

“My goal behind it was to help somebody, inspire somebody to get out here and do some things.”

One of the beautiful things about minor league organized sports is the equality that comes with playing within a team. Things like matching uniforms quickly eliminate all outside factors of the game in regards to the financial situation of any given family. At the end of the day the better player will have the most drive and determination, something Larry Tharpe says he quickly came to realize when looking into 71 Athletics.

“Wearing uniforms cuts down on the demographics so it comes down to skill and who the better athlete is, not what you can afford to buy or what your mother can afford to buy you, it comes down to talent.”

Aside from providing the youth with quality but affordable football cleats, Larry hopes to host various football camps to teach the kids not only football fundamentals, but the importance of hard work, drive and self motivation. For Larry Tharpe, 71 Athletics is only the start of making a positive and effective impact on minor sports, not only in the Detroit area, but nationwide.

After meeting and forming the Blackhawk Alumni Association, the group developed a threefold mission statement for their non-profit Alumni Association. The three goals for the Association are to provide a scholarship fund for the “most deserving” high school hockey player in Illinois; become involved in community affairs and charitable causes; and protect and take care of their fellow alumni with a players helping players mindset.

Former Chicago Blackhawk winger and Stan Mikita’s road roommate, Cliff Koroll, has been the President of the Blackhawk Alumni Association since the passing of longtime friend and founding member Keith Magnuson in 2003. Entering and exiting the NHL together, the two were practically inseparable.

”I’m very proud of how we have established our Blackhawk Alumni,” stated Koroll. “We wanted to select a focal point in the community in which to support when we first started and to us that was education, so we started giving the scholarships to high school hockey players in the state of Illinois,” he continued. “It’s been 25 years since we started doing this and we’ve given out 82 scholarships for a total of $1 million in education.”

Although the Blackhawk Alumni Association does a lot of the charity work on their own, they help out other charities in Illinois that need the help. Before the Association was established, the team would help out with whatever community events were going on in the city. They learned a lot about giving back to the community while playing for the Blackhawks in the NHL and they ended up taking their knowledge and experiences and transformed them into something much more powerful and inspiring for the city of Chicago and Illinois as a whole.

“A lot of times we went to the hospitals to visit kids; helped with fundraisers for various charities in the area; helped the Special Olympics; helped out with church groups, basically anything we were able to do to help the community, we were a part of,” recounted the Canora, Saskatchewan native.

“The one thing that was passed on from era to era was to give back. I remember Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita took Keith Magnuson and I aside during our rookie year and said ‘Hey, you’re coming with us, we’re going to this church down the street to sign some autographs and raise some money,’ so we weren’t going to say to no to those guys, you just couldn’t,” elucidated Koroll. “I’m happy that stuff like that has been passed on from generation to generation in the hockey world and it continues to do so.”

One of the biggest charities that Koroll and the Blackhawk Alumni Association help out is the Ronald McDonald House Charities. For many years they have been supporting the charity and just recently sponsored a family room in the new house that is being built downtown Chicago. Aside from that, Koroll recently did a hockey tournament in Edmonton where they raised $40,000 for the Ronald McDonald House in Edmonton.

“We donate about $100,000 to $125,000 to various charities each year, including our scholarship program,” mentioned Koroll. “I’m not sure if we’re going to get bigger worldwide but we are hoping to be able to increase the amount of the scholarships for these kids.”

Each year the Blackhawk Alumni Association honours three high school hockey players from Illinois with a scholarship. With nearly 75-100 applications coming in each year, the committee selects their three “most deserving” students based on need, their grades and their community involvement.

The city of Chicago, as well as former and current Blackhawk players, has been very supportive of the Blackhawk Alumni Association over the years. Aside from  the support they’ve been getting locally over the years, teams all across the league have recognized what they’ve been doing and how successful they’ve been with it and have started to seek guidance from Cliff and the Blackhawk Alumni Association.

“I’ve received calls from about six or seven NHL teams seeking information and support to find out how we run our Alumni Association so they can do the same for theirs,” indicated Koroll. “I think the word has gotten around for the good things that we do for our Alumni and I’m very proud of that,” he added.

“I was just recently out in LA because Luc Robitaille wanted to improve what they were doing with the LA Kings and their Alumni so I went out there and spent some time with the people at the LA Kings, just to share what we do with our Alumni.“

Cliff Koroll understands that with other teams seeking their guidance to follow in the path of success, that it truly is a compliment to have so many people recognize the good that they do on a daily and yearly basis for both the Alumni and the residents of Illinois. With today’s technology being so advanced with all the social media sites, there’s no telling how popular and well-known the Blackhawk Alumni Association can become, especially as more and more generations of Blackhawk players start to join in on the good cause.

For more information on the Blackhawk Alumni Association, visit http://www.blackhawkalumni.com/

Fighters who at one time made promoters thousands of dollars and gained the love and respect of many fans more than likely end up alone, homeless and for the most part left with severe mental damage due to countless blows to the head they took during their career. It is a sad, yet very real concept that has been an issue dating back to the late Joe Louis, arguably one of boxing’s most important figures who went to his grave with not a penny to his name. When a fighter retires from the sport of boxing they are left with no benefits or health care and the world of professional boxing wants nothing to do with the matter, ultimately leaving it up to the fighters themselves to fight for their rights. Former middleweight contender, Alex Ramos, stepped up to the challenge in 1998 after living through the hell most fighters face after they step out of the ring as he started the Retired Boxer’s Foundation in hopes to raise awareness and funds in support of those like himself.

“Boxing is a sport that’s been around a long time and fighters don’t get help when their career is over. There’s no pension plan or medical benefit and as a result a lot of fighters wind up being homeless or sometimes some of them have something that’s called pugilistic dementia, which is the medical term for being punch drunk,” Ramos explained.  “Most of the fighters, when they leave the sport, wind up with a little bit of damage and you want to be able to take care of these guys and that’s why I came up with this Foundation.”

“I was homeless and there are many fighters that end up penniless. You hear about boxers having problems after their careers are over, that’s why you wind up hearing about these fighters having comebacks or things like that and it’s sad, it really is,” said the Manhattan, New York native.  “That’s how all of this came about and it’s hard to get help from the sport of boxing, but I keep trying and trying and it’s going to work. We work hard and that’s how we have to do it, it’s a word of mouth. We want to let the world know and understand what’s going on,” elucidated Ramos.

While living on the streets, Alex received help from his now executive director, Jacquie Richardson, whom alongside her husband took Ramos in and provided assistance and the proper requirement to get him back on his feet. Since its inception in 1998, the Retired Boxer’s Foundation has received generous donations from the likes of movie producer Ron Shelton to American Political consultant James Carville and most recently a $20,000 donation from the late Joe Frazier’s estate. Frazier passed away in November of 2011 and was a firm believer in Ramos’ and the Foundation’s ultimate goal.

“That’s someone that believed in what we are doing, it’s a gift from an angel. I thank God that he believed in us. I have known Joe Frazier for a long time. I knew him during my career as well but it’s wonderful what he did,” said the Bronx Bomber.

Over the course of its 14 years of establishment, the Retired Boxer’s Foundation has gained representatives all around the world. With a universal medical advisory board, the Foundation provides top neurologists and neurosurgeons in order to provide former fighters with the aid they need. From doctors in Whales and England to those in California and Washington, every fighter is important and is eligible for assistance.

Aside from the financial woes many former fighters face, the Retired Boxer’s Foundation also provides assistance in dealing with the transition from the ring into retirement and the acceptance of passing ones prime.

“Boxing has been around a long time but as you know when your career is over, your career is over. They forget about you, they drop you like a hot cake, it’s really the truth,” Alex explained. “I was Shelly Finkel’s first fighter, I was a star fighter, I was with the cream of the crop, I was on TV and I was a star at one point. All I had to do was win fights and that’s how it is and next thing you know you lose a fight and things change,” he continued. “I’ve been around this boxing game since 1972; I’ve been around this game a long time.”

The concept of an establishment such as the Retired Boxer’s Foundation is not by any means a new idea as former fighter Jack Dempsey first conceived it in 1960. However, nothing was done at the time, leaving fighters in the situation they are in now.

“In 1960, Jack Dempsey said they should do something in the world of boxing like some type of organized deal similar to what I’m talking about today,” said Ramos. “That was in 1960 and here we are 2012 and we’re still talking about it. I’m not going to my grave talking about what they should’ve, could’ve, would’ve done, I’m going to do something about it and I’m doing the best I can.”

“We help fighters the best we can which is SSI which is social security,” he said. “It’s the best we can do. I live on SSI and I’m happy. I live on a month to month basis but I’m happy. It’s a lot different from how I used to live but it gets me by.”

Today Alex Ramos lives day-to-day, month-to-month doing the best he can to help out his fellow co-workers from all parts of the world. His tremendous love for boxing keeps the 51-year-old former middleweight positive that one day his hard work and the hard work of everyone involved with the Foundation will pay off.

“We help out current fighters and retired fighters, the money doesn’t go to waste, no one earns a salary.  We do work here and that’s how it works and we need more people to understand that and we’re going to continue to work like that and we’re going to continue to do our thing.”

To learn more about Alex Ramos and the Retired Boxer’s Foundation, visit www.retiredboxers.org

For every path taken in life there was a decision made to pave that path. Drug and alcohol addictions are serious problems that come with serious consequences that can be avoided with the proper knowledge and awareness. Former World Wrestling Entertainment Intercontinental Champion Marc Mero experienced the lifestyle brought on by professional wrestling first hand and survived to share his wisdom to change the lives of others for the better.  Through Champion of Choices, Marc Mero educates hundreds of youth on the importance of making the right decisions, a life mission which was brought on by the tragic passing of an old friend.

“One of the wrestlers was a good friend of mine who I wrestled against many times, his name was Chris Benoit and unfortunately he took his own life and took the life of his wife and his little boy. When that happened it made me realize that there are two types of people; the people who say there needs to be something done and the people that actually go out and do something,” Marc explained.

“I got so sick of saying something needs to be done, I wanted to do something because I’ve lost way too many friends. I’ve lost over 30 friends to drug overdoses and suicide and the list goes on and on. I wanted to make a difference so I started a program where I go to schools and speak at schools. I’ve done over 400 now about setting goals, taking actions towards your goals, making the right choices in your life, suicide prevention and anti-bullying,” Mero elucidated.

Growing up in a financially unstable broken home initially inspired Marc to become a professional athlete swarmed in all the perks of the high life, a dream many young boys have for themselves.

“I grew up very poor in a single family home because my parents got divorced when I was eight. My mom worked two jobs and I always had big dreams. I always wanted to be a professional athlete, I wanted to have a black Cadillac and a speedboat and be rich and famous,” explained the Buffalo, New York native. “I wrote those dreams down when I was 10-years old and because I wrote them down I took action towards them and those dreams came true. Along the way however I made some really bad choices, especially when I got into professional wrestling and got involved in everything from drugs and alcohol, uppers and downers, the pain medication, everything involved with professional wrestling. I became a product of that,” admits Mero.

“Eventually I lost my marriage of 10 years, most of my friends and my family. My little brother and sister died at 21, my mother died at 58 and my dad died while I was holding him in my arms so I pretty much lost everything,” continued Mero. “It was nine years ago on Christmas Day where I decided that would be it. I sat at a pier in Cocoa Beach, Florida and just watched the waves role in and out and contemplated the end of my life. It wasn’t long after that I grabbed my hand gun, went into the shower and was going to end my life, but it was at that moment that I got this vision in my head of what hell would be like and I wanted to live. I dropped the gun, got on my knees and asked God into my life,” recounted Mero. “My life has been absolutely amazing since that day. I always say the tallest I ever stood was when I was on my knees. It’s been an incredible journey and because of that it has helped and saved so many lives.”

Unlike Major League Baseball or the NHL, World Wrestling Entertainment doesn’t run on an 82-game season with an offseason. Instead it hosts shows almost every night, putting the wrestlers’ bodies through serious impact without any off days. After the Super Bowl, NFL players have a few months to recuperate and to prepare for the following season. The night after WrestleMania, which is considered the Super Bowl of wrestling, they are back in the ring putting their bodies at risk once again.

“If your name is on that marquee you have to perform, you cant just say your arm hurts, you have to be a part of the show so you start taking pain medication so your arm will not hurt and then you start doing it more and more and more. There’s also the enticement of the going out and the party life, the rock star atmosphere, the intoxication of the fans and the night life,” Mero explained. “It’s also the responsibility of the person saying ‘No I’m not going to do that’ but it sucked so many of us in. I’m just so thankful and blessed that I’m still here today that I can actually speak about it and help other people that may be a part of that, and if they are tell them the downside to their choices.”

By inspiring and connecting with those he speaks with, Mero uses his honesty and willingness to share his story to gain trust in those who may be faced with similar decisions or fears. Champion of Choices expresses the importance of happiness and love in our lives, even when times may be difficult.

“When I talk to a lot of students who are suicidal and cut themselves or get bullied at school, they feel no hope. When they hear my story they realize there is hope and that they can have a better life and through their choices they can change a lot of things because happiness is a choice. I always tell people your friends are like an elevator, they either take you up or down. You show me your friends I will show you your future, it’s so important who we surround ourselves with.”

Marc Mero is constantly busy speaking and informing at various schools, churches and corporate events. As a youth, the notion of having a choice in the way we live our lives may seem unrealistic, but with people like Marc educating them with a positive meaningful message, it provides students with the chance to make their life just a little better than it may be.

To learn more about Marc and Champion of Choices, visit www.championofchoices.org

These days Nilan is no longer dropping the gloves with other tough guys, but instead taking on bullies of all ages. Residing in the Montreal area, the Boston native is highly active within elementary and high schools raising awareness about bullying and informing today’s youth about its severity.

“I try to make them aware that when someone is bullying someone it’s not playing around, it’s not horsing around, it’s not joking around, it’s serious,” Nilan explained. “I try to make them aware that their words can be more hurtful to a person. Kids often worry about a bully beating them up and I tell them that any punch or slap or physical abuse often doesn’t come close to the pain of depression and loneliness that can come with someone being bullied in the verbal sense,” he said.

Although he was known as scrapper during his time in the NHL, Nilan says he only did so as a protector of his teammates, a role he says was obtained from his father, a military man.

“Well my dad taught me at a young age that when I go off to school he didn’t want anyone from the school calling him saying that I’ve picked on a kid younger, smaller or weaker than me. He also told me that if anything, I should stick up for other kids because he expected it of me,” Chris recalled.

“A lot of people say that I fought when I played hockey and this and that but the fact is if you look at my track record I wasn’t a bully, I was a defender,” elucidated Nilan. “I was a protector and stuck up for my teammates, I did my job to the best of my ability and it was mostly in a defensive role to defend my teammates, not so much to be the bully.”

By traveling through many schools and speaking with various age groups regarding the subject of bullying, Nilan focuses his presentations on the causes and effects of bullying, as well as the importance of stepping up and becoming a protector. Stressing the importance of speaking up and having a voice rather than using physical force to address bullying, Nilan says reeducating someone who is a bully or who picks on others is just as important as putting an end to his or hers aggressive behaviour and that starts with the involvement of parents and teachers.

“The only way we’re going to put a stop to this is, is if we get the children to get the adults involved. If the adults don’t get involved were not going to be able to totally get it out of schools. If children start to speak up for themselves and they speak up to the principal or anyone in a position of authority so they’re aware, they’re able to not only mediate the situation but the teachers then are able to reeducate the bully,” Chris explicated.

“The bully is often envious or resentful to someone. I point out the fact that in every case of bullying, there are people around and usually those people are bystanders and followers. The followers usually encourage the bully out of fear so they back them up and support them so they are able to escape the wrath of being the target or victim. The one person that is very rarely around is the defender, the person that will say ‘stop leave them alone.’”

It is no secret that over recent years bullying has become an issue in the forefront of concern in our education system. With various forms of awareness such as movies and help lines, it’s people like Chris Nilan who can have an influence and choose to use their status in a positive, informative manner. Who better to spread the word against bullying than someone who made a living sticking up for guys who were smaller or didn’t posses the size and strength to compete with some of the toughest guys in the NHL.

To learn more about Chris Nilan and his work within the community, visit http://www.knucklesnilan.com/

St. Louis Blues assistant coach Scott Mellanby started giving back and making a difference while he was playing in the NHL and continues to do so now that he is retired and working with one of his former teams. It was a lot tougher to get a foundation up and running when the players weren’t making a ridiculous amount of money, but Mellanby worked with what he had and made it possible while playing in the NHL and is glad to see the players of today getting involved more than ever.

“One thing with professional athletes and organizations is that they are pretty involved in their communities. They try to do what they can when it comes to getting their players involved with the charity outings in the community,” explained Mellanby.

“I started in the NHL in 1986 so I would say that was when I first started giving back to the community. It was nothing really above and beyond from what anyone else was doing from an athlete’s standpoint, but we got requests for golf and charity events.”

“I think because of the increase in the player’s salaries over the years, there’s a lot more philanthropy stuff going on, with agents getting their clients involved with charity work and wanting them to start their own foundations,” continued the Montreal, Quebec native. “I think it’s fantastic what they are doing nowadays because it wasn’t like that back in the day.”

While playing with the Florida Panthers, Scott and his wife learned that their son, Carter, was diagnosed with autism. Although it took him and his wife some time to get through the tragic side of things, this never held Scott back or got in his way. It was just another challenge that he would be faced with in life and he ended up using his social status to help benefit his son and every other family who has and will be put in the same situation as him.

“My wife and I talked about it and being a so-called celebrity and having the opportunity to raise some money and do some things. We felt like it was the right thing to do and felt like we had the power like a celebrity would,” recounted the Flyers’ 27^th overall pick in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft.

In 1999, Mellanby and his wife Susan established the Mellanby Autism Foundation; a non-profit organization that provides direct care services to individuals and families who have been affected by autism.

“We get credited for starting foundations and doing this kind of stuff. Obviously for us there was a direct relationship to our family so it was a natural thing to do, but there are a lot of athletes and non-athletes that are doing what they can nowadays to get involved with charities even if they weren’t affected by it and I think those people are very special for wanting to get involved and they deserve a lot of credit for that,” expressed Mellanby.

He started his Foundation while playing with the Panthers, an organization he shared some memorable and historic moments with over the years; whether it be scoring the first ever goal in franchise history in 1993 or starting the “rat trick” craze during the 1996 run to the Stanley Cup Finals. He was always appreciated in every city that he played in and he took advantage of it. He did whatever he could for the Florida Panthers community and the fans that supported the team and he would be rewarded by the organization in a way he could not imagine.

“About one year after my son was diagnosed with autism we were at an autism event with the team and I was sitting with Wayne Huizenga, the owner of the Panthers at the time,” elucidated Mellanby.

“I got up and gave a little speech and announced that we were directly affected by it with our son being diagnosed. As soon as I finished, Wayne made a $250,000 donation to our Foundation on the spot which was very amazing and very special to us,” he continued.

“I was an employee at the time playing for him and you don’t usually have that relationship with the owner of the team. At this point I played for him for about four or five years so at the time it was surreal and it meant a lot because it was his way of showing me that he appreciated what I was doing for the team and the area. It was a really emotional night for me, it was very difficult.”

Mellanby was also involved with another project called Athletes Against Autism with former NHL goalies Byron Dafoe and Olaf Kolzig. Athletes Against Autism was a group of athletes who were personally touched by autism and wanted to help raise awareness and funds for autism research, treatment and education programs. Although it is no longer around, this was one of the things that Scott Mellanby is most proud of being a part of.

“Even though AAA was only around for three or four years it was one of the things I was very proud to be a part of. Just working with Byron Dafoe and Olaf Kolzig was a great time,” expressed Mellanby.

“It’s not always just about the amount of money that you raise because raising awareness is just as important. In the first year we had about two or three NHL buildings that allowed us to have an Autism Awareness Night and by our final year we were up to about half the teams in the league.”

Currently working with the Blues as an assistant coach, Scott Mellanby continues to do what he can in a city that opened up their arms to him and his family. He gets to teach the young players of today what it means to be an NHL player off the ice and a role model that not just the hockey community can look up to, but the entire community as a whole. He continues to raise money and awareness for autism, but also helps out other charities and causes when possible. He helped make a difference in the hockey world and the cities that he played for while he was playing in the NHL and he still continues to do so even though his playing career is over.

To learn more about the Mellanby Autism Foundation, visit http://www.mellanbyautismfoundation.org/

Former Texas Ranger and Major League pitcher José Guzman has never been a stranger to charity work and the concept of giving back, but it was an unfortunate illness to his mother and the selflessness of his sister that motivated Guzman to make a positive impact with a purpose in mind. José’s mother passed away from Alzheimer’s disease nearly four years ago and since then he has worked tirelessly to raise awareness and assist the individuals and their families who are all suffering from the terrible disease.

“I decided I wanted to do something and the reason was because when my mom got dementia and then Alzheimer’s, my sister took care of her the entire time. She lost her job, quit everything and gave my mom attention 24/7,” Guzman praised. “My impression was that I needed to do something for the people who need to take care of someone at home because many people cant afford the proper care. What many then do is take care of that loved one at home and by doing that they can’t go to work and end up losing their job, leaving them without the sufficient money for the medication or whatever it is they need,” stated the Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico native.

By taking matters into his own hands, Guzman’s Foundation, the Guzman 23 Foundation, provides financial assistance for the families with loved ones who are suffering from Alzheimer’s.

“I want to provide assistance, so things like finding a nurse that can come during the day so the person who is the caretaker can go to work or help out by buying medication. I go to a place and get their information and myself and my board of directors approve grants for different people,” explained Guzman. “We also give a little bit of money for research because that’s one of the main focuses too. We go to Alzheimer’s facilities and check if they need anything. A lot of the patients like music so I went out and found someone who could play piano for the patients, just little things like that,” he continued. “We go to another place and fill up their pantry, so the focus isn’t just one thing, we like to help out in every little way that we can.”

Guzman, who had always participated in various charity events as a player, has begun hosting his own annual fundraisers for Alzheimer’s, bringing in many former players to help spread the word and awareness regarding this devastating and unfortunate disease.

“Last year for the first time, I held my celebrity golf tournament in October. We had about 230 players so it was a great event and now were getting ready to do a poker tournament on April 13,” said the 1991 AL Comeback Player of the Year. “I try to stick to two big events a year because you don’t want to do too many and hit the same people, so I want to have two great events in the spring and fall where we can help out and try to raise some funds for these people,” he added.

Aside from funds, José Guzman is just as dedicated to raising awareness and informing the general public about just how much of an effect Alzheimer’s can have on not only an individual, but their families and loved ones around them.

“The main thing was to raise some awareness about Alzheimer’s. You see a lot done for cancer and HIV, so I’ve been trying to get more people involved, and since I’ve become involved with this, 80 to 90% of the people I talk to know somebody that has or had Alzheimer’s. When you’re not involved you don’t talk about it or know about it, but now that I’m involved I definitely see more people with it,” he elucidated. “When my mom got sick with Alzheimer’s, I didn’t know anything that I know now,” he continued. “I saw my sister take care of my mom all the time and a lot of these caregivers don’t ever get paid, they do it because they want to take care of the patient, whether it be a family member or not.”

The former pitcher plans on returning to his native home of Puerto Rico to meet with several doctors and researchers in an effort to educate the Puerto Rican people about the health condition.

“We want to spread the word and educate people about Alzheimer’s. We don’t want to raise money for it and have people be blind to the fact, we want people to really know all the facts about it and not just how people lose their memory, but everything else that goes along with it,” Guzman concluded.

José Guzman played in the Major Leagues for nine seasons, living a dream and inspiring others to follow theirs. Through an unfortunate but real situation, he has continued to inspire others as he was inspired and touched by his sister’s undying love for their mother. As we’ve learned in the battle against cancer, a disease may not be entirely beatable, but with our love, care and commitment, it can be challenged and maybe one day nothing more than a thought.

For more information on the Guzman 23 Foundation, visit guzman23foundation.org/

“I think more or less, once I got to the league I was actually able to do something effective,” explained the NFL defensive back. “Once I was able to put a program together that helped other people, I felt like a lot of other athletes and people with a higher status should be doing that for the people who are not as fortunate.“

Currently a free agent in the NFL, Smith founded his own Foundation called the Reggie Smith II Foundation during his second season in the league. The Foundation is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to the mission of serving the community by supporting under privileged children and families; primarily in the areas of education and athletic arts. They believe that by focusing on these areas it will enhance the children’s ability to dream and reach their full potential as citizens. At the same time, they also try to focus on improving the lives of young people that have been associated with tragic life situations and aren’t as financially stable as others.

“It’s good to go out and see people that I have known for a good part of my life saying that I’m doing some really good things around here and it really helps out and they appreciate it,” elucidated Smith. “It just gives you a really good feeling when you hear people say that.”

While with the 49ers, Smith did a lot of work in the San Francisco area with the team. Although he found a new home for the time being, he never turned his back on the city that raised him and helped make him who he is today. He started a football camp for children in Edmond, Oklahoma, called the Rookie 31 Football Camp.

“One of my personal favourite programs would be the Rookie 31 Football Camp because I enjoy working with the kids,” stated Smith. “Going out there with them and running around with them, it definitely brightens up their day since they get to run around with pro football players and college kids that I know.“

Although he runs the football camp for the kids, he does a lot of work with various charities in Oklahoma to help improve families and raise money for whatever the cause may be. Around the holidays, he also gets generous and hands out holiday turkeys through his Foundation.

“I hope to make the Foundation bigger and better each year that way we can help more kids out every year,” said the former Oklahoma Sooner. “The camp has gotten bigger already and it’s an entire weekend now so I’m happy about that. Last year during Thanksgiving we gave out about 25 baskets to different families in need and this year we’re able to give back at least 50 baskets,” he joyously stated.

For a kid who was born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, and played college ball at the University of Oklahoma, he had no idea what to expect once he moved to California to play for the San Francisco 49ers. One thing that he knew he wanted for sure once he moved out to San Francisco was a chance to go out there every weekend dawning the legendary 49ers scarlet and gold, while making a difference in the Bay Area like he did back home.

“I didn’t know much about the things we were going to do when I first came in,” explained Smith. “Every Tuesday we would have an event so I tried to get out to as many as I could. There were so many different things like; the Food Bank, the San Francisco 49ers Academy where we built equipment for them to play on outside, Play 60, and Matthew McConaughey’s Foundation the j.k. livin foundation,” he continued. “It was a lot of fun because I was able to go out there and make some connections with some other functions and Foundations and was able to help out a lot of people.”

The 49ers Academy was started thirteen years ago with the goal of keeping kids safe, on track and in school. They serve 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grade students from East Palo Alto and do what they can to maximize the potential of every student.  They emphasize on self-discipline, respect, and individualized attention to help the students master core subjects and prepare them for high school.

Through the 49ers Academy, Reggie helped build a fitness facility for the kids, as well as a music room.

“It seems like every year there was something new for them to enjoy,” proclaimed Smith. “A lot of them are in a real bad situation and I think that all the stuff that we do for them gives them a good feeling about themselves and they get to go in and use all that stuff and hopefully turn it into something positive someday.”

Entering what will be his fifth season in the NFL, Smith is hoping to take the field in the near future as a starter for an NFL team. Although he is currently a free agent, this is not the end of the road for Reggie Smith, Jr. His hard work and perseverance got him to where he is today and if he continues to show the determination that got him to this point, he will find a new city to call home in no time. He continues to live each day the way he wishes everyone would; staying humble, giving back to others whenever possible, and always treating people the way he would wish to be treated.

To learn more about the Reggie Smith II Foundation, visit http://www.reggiesmithfoundation.com

Well on his way to the big leagues, Kervin was drafted by the Jays in 2008 and by 2009 was on his way up to Double A, where he spent a year as a utility player in New Hampshire. Heading into the 2009 off-season, Kervin was focused and determined to work himself into the best physical shape of his life hoping to enter the 2010 season as a serious player option. His plan however took a sudden unexpected turn for the worse.

“During November of 2009 I started having sharp stomach pains and bloody diarrhea, but I didn’t know what the symptoms were or what Crohn’s or colitis was,” explained the Grapevine, Texas native. “Being my competitive self I just kept working out through the pains and fatigue because I didn’t want a stomach flu or bug to keep me from my next spring training and getting myself prepared,” says Kervin.  “Finally it came down to me showing up to the gym in November of 2009 and I just about passed out. I went home that Friday and set up a doctors appointment for Monday and that week I got diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.”

After taking three weeks off and feeling reasonably better, Kervin continued his workouts while taking small steps to fully eliminate the various medications from his life, which in January of 2010 seemed very possible, until the ulcerative colitis returned with a vengeance.

“January 25 I remember being in Target with my sisters getting my nephew a ‘welcome to the world’ gift and I was just curled over, I was in so much pain my mouth would get watery. I have a high tolerance for pain and it was so painful that I couldn’t move,” described Bryan. “It felt like a knife stabbing right into my stomach so I called my doctor that night. The same day my nephew was born I went into the hospital thinking I’d only be there for a few days and get it knocked out of the way and get back to my workout. Well I was wrong and a lot of what they were trying wasn’t working,” he recalled.

What Bryan initially thought was a minor setback would have him sidelined from the life he led for a year. It had him in and out of the hospital and on and off various medications and hormone enhancements. As this painful cycle continued, Bryan’s doctor felt that only one option was left, surgery.

“I had a surgeon talk to me. I had just figured out what this disease was, let alone what it could do to the body and how bad it can affect you. He talked about the possible removal of my large intestine and how I wouldn’t be able to play baseball again and there was a chance my fertility could be cut down because they were working on that area,” elucidated Kervin.

In what was to date the toughest time in his life, Bryan is quick to point out that his faith had a large part in his road to recovery.

“Here I am one minute in Double A, my first pro season of baseball and before I know it I’m in the hospital having the doctor tell me I wont be able to play baseball again. It was really hard to deal with but I really relied on my faith and knew God would help me through it and obviously through my experiences I’ve grown stronger and closer to my faith,” he says.

During his grueling year and battle with ulcerative colitis, Kervin dropped from 190 lbs to 120 lbs, and at a time looked like the doctor would be correct about him never again playing the game he loved. Within 10 months of his battle, Kervin was back in action despite the enormous hill he was forced to climb. During his return, in the best shape of his life, Bryan fractured his hand which he insisted on hiding due to the fear of missing more baseball, facing yet another obstacle on his journey.

At this point of his life and career it seems like there’s nothing Bryan Kervin hasn’t faced that could make it any more difficult for him to achieve his dream. Alongside his continuing conquest to achieve what he believes he is meant to do, he has also put his efforts forth in hopes of helping others faced with similar situations. His passion for assisting others has led him to establish the Rise and Conquer Foundation; a Foundation dedicated to raising awareness about Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis while providing support for those affected through mentoring programs and fundraisers.

“Do everything with passion, whatever you do in life if you do it with passion it means your heart’s in it and you’re doing it with energy and that energy creates an atmosphere that everyone wants to be around and makes everyone around you better,” says Bryan. “I was passionate about the cause and that’s why I started the Foundation, because my hearts in it to help out kids and others that are going through what I went through.”

The Rise and Conquer Foundation also donates various items to hospitals gastrointestinal wards designed to make more palatable experiences for patients and their families. For Bryan, the top priority remains mentoring and support for the patients.

Although Bryan still faces many difficult days, he finds strength deep within to make each day just a bit better.

“You can only control certain things in life. I couldn’t control that I got sick or the news with the disease or that I’m not where I want to be as far as career wise, but I cant control those things but I can control my attitude and how I approach each day. You have to dig deep within to help out others and to be there for others, as a teammate and family member, even if you’re having a rough day,“ he stated.

Bryan hopes to eventually open Rise and Conquer to other avenues of support for addiction, cancer patients and those with learning disabilities.

In times of struggle and need we look to heroes for support and motivation. Bryan Kervin may not be a household name at the moment, but his story and strength are most definitely inspirational in their own right. His courage and unwillingness to give up is refreshing and powerful and leaves you speechless when you hear about everything he has overcome. We are not measured in life by what we can achieve, but by what we can take and how we continue to move on and continue our road to success, whatever that may be.

“I look at struggles, trials and setbacks as something that makes us better and builds our character and perseverance, I wouldn’t trade what I went through to be in the big leagues right now because I’ve become that much better of a person through the toughest times of my life.”

To learn more about the Rise and Conquer Foundation, visit http://www.riseandconquer.org/