The day was filled with music, entertainment, food and most importantly, football. Aside from the official Challenge, there was a youth Flag Football Tournament featuring several elementary schools all wearing jerseys highlighting Damon’s CFL career. The Tournament was sponsored by For KICKS, a youth development organization dedicated to leading at-risk youth down the right path through sports and athletics. Drum Lines from West Humber Collegiate, Father Henry Carr and Colborne Public School were all also in fine form as they presented numerous performances adding to the day’s excitement.

The challenge began after the singing of the Canadian national anthem and a brief word from Damon Allen who was right by the quarterbacks throughout the course of the day, providing support and soaking in some upcoming talent, something he says is very important to touch base with.

“I used to do the camp probably three to four years ago with the professionals and the corporates so I had the top quarterbacks in the Canadian Football League and we’d go through a little bit of a challenge, something very similar to this today. After I retired I started looking at the program more and kind of wondered how I could touch more quarterbacks, so I started looking at the grassroots level as far as high school quarterbacks and that’s where this basically came from,” explained Allen.

“This is my 2^nd year running it with the high school quarterbacks and we actually have intertwined education with the challenge and rewards giving the winners a partial university scholarship to any university in Ontario,” added the San Diego, California native.

With the last two events now a success on multiple levels, Damon hopes to take his event across Canada in an effort to support and give more young quarterbacks a chance of a lifetime.

“Our goal is to go national. We’re going to launch two more cities next year in British Columbia and Saskatchewan. We want it to go national, not only to showcase these kids’ skill level, but to also push them to a greater level of excellence which is really a good thing for young kids and young quarterbacks,” said the three-time Grey Cup MVP.

“The bottom line is education and to allow people to further their education and help pay their tuition and stuff like that.”

Regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in CFL history, Damon Allen seemed to always find success with his high skill level and gritty determination to make a difference on the field and in the game’s most important moments. His same drive and determination is found in his desire to improve the quarterbacks of today while surrounding them with healthy competition.

“I think one of the things this challenge is really good for is to have a healthy competition amongst these young men and their peers. When you’re competing against your peers it brings a level of excellence and a push to allow them to perform the way they want to. Their job is to go out there, have fun, showcase their skills and look at how they can get better, and so that’s what this whole competition is about,” elucidated Allen.

Competition it was as the three groups of quarterbacks went through four different non-contact skill challenges testing their accuracy, strength, consistency and endurance. The groups would then be cut down to a top 9 where they would compete in a final two events to determine the winner. After a close finals, Hamilton JV Ironmen QB Liam Putt came out on top with a solid performance that started from his first throw.

“It means a lot to win this competition. There are a lot of great quarterbacks out here and to win it means a lot to me,” said Putt. “I came in with a good attitude, just kept my mind on it and stayed on task and thankfully got it done.”

The Damon Allen High School Quarterback Challenge really emphasizes where dreams become reality and highlighted the importance of the grassroots level of sport in our community. There are so many excellent young athletes who have only respect for one another and it is truly refreshing to witness.

For more information on Damon Allen, visit http://www.damonallen.ca/

For more information on For KICKS, visit http://www.forkicks.org/

For more information on past and future High School Quarterback Challenges, visit http://www.damonallen.ca/challenge/?page_id=23

“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.

This year the NBA will be teaming up with the Special Olympics for the first ever NBA Cares Special Olympics Unity Sports Basketball Game during this year’s All-Star Weekend. The game will take place at the NBA All-Star Jam Session on Sunday, February 26, and will feature NBA players past and present, players from the WNBA, and most importantly 12 Special Olympic athletes from across the United States.

NBA legends such as Clyde Drexler, Chris Mullin, Dikembe Mutombo and Sam Perkins will all be taking part in the event, as well as current stars Kevin Durant, Kemba Walker and Derrick Williams. The opportunity for many of these Special Olympics athletes who are getting the opportunity to play with professional basketball players is a big step in directing people’s attention to the incredible talents of those involved with Special Olympics and their importance to the sporting world.

Participants will not only be playing in this charity basketball game but will also be treated, as well as their families, to a dinner with an NBA legend, in arena recognition during NBA All-Star events Saturday night, and tickets to the All-Star Game Sunday night. The NBA and the Special Olympics formed their partnership nearly 30 years ago when basketball was introduced as a new sport within the organization. Since then, the NBA has sponsored various Special Olympic basketball tournaments, provided NBA player public service announcements, participated in major Special Olympic events and has had the NBA Basketball Without Borders program featured in international clinics for Special Olympic athletes around the world.

Since its inception, NBA Cares has been devoted to its social responsibility of addressing important social issues around the world. NBA teams and players have donated over $175 million to charity, completed over 1.8 million hours of community service, and has created more than 675 places in 22 countries where families can live, learn and play.

The Special Olympics is globally known and admired for its efforts in changing lives through the power of sport, while encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities and promoting acceptance for all. Close to 3.7 million athletes in over 170 countries all over the world take part in the Special Olympics program through sports training, athletic competition or various other programs supported by Special Olympics.

To learn more about NBA Cares or the Unity Sports Basketball Game, visit www.nba.com/caravan/

To learn more about the Special Olympics, visit www.specialolympics.org

“This is a voluntary charity so we pay the students and they support us with their work. They go to school for a certain part of their education, whether it be advertising or sports administration, but what’s nice is that they have accommodated it all together with this Foundation and today the opening of the new wing is part of what they have contributed,” said Jenkins.

“They haven’t had an easy task over the last few months to try and put it together, but it’s here for your entertainment and it will be bigger and better than what people are expecting it to be,” added the three-time All-Star.

The Foundation was given a grant of $10,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation; an organization that enables Ontarians to work together to enhance the quality of life in their communities and believe that their grants stimulate communities to build on their assets such as creativity and drive.

“I guess you could say, and pardon the pun, but we liked your pitch,” said Ellis Katsof of the Ontario Trillium Foundation during his speech as the room erupted in laughter.

“We are proud to be a part of this team effort to make these renovations happen because we see this as an investment for the long run. Their plans are a really good fit to help Ontarians become more engaged in their community through volunteerism and learning about other opportunities,” Katsof added about the Fergie Jenkins Foundation.

During the reception, the Fergie Jenkins Foundation gave back to the community some more, this time by presenting cheques to both the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and the Special Olympics. Aside from the donations that the Foundation made, Jenkins and former major league outfielder Scott Bullett discussed the new Fergie Jenkins Showcase League; a baseball league that will  to help expose Canada’s baseball talent to the rest of the world and Major League Baseball in particular starting next May. The Burlington Double Blues, Ontario Outlaws, Ontario Athletics, OIBA Prospects, Ontario Cardinals, the Ontario Prospects and the Bullett Proof Prospects, run by Scott Bullett, will each have 16 and 18-year old teams in the league.

“So many kids in Canada get overlooked,” stated Jenkins.

“They are finally starting to realize that we have talented athletes in baseball but there just aren’t as many resources here in Canada and they haven’t done as much research on us,” added Cooperstown’s only Canadian inductee.

“Scotty and I both got our opportunity so we want to help kids out with that and give back to them the opportunity to play sports in the summer and see where it can take them in life.”

Born in Barrio San Anton in Carolina, Puerto Rico on August 18, 1934, Clemente was the youngest of seven children in a family that was barely able to afford to get by every day. With his father working as a foreman on a sugarcane plantation and his mother running a grocery store for plantation workers, money was tight for the family. With the state that the family was in, Roberto took jobs as a milk delivery boy and any other odd jobs that were available to earn some extra money for them. Although he started working at a young age, his hard work and perseverance were better displayed on the sandlots in his hometown.

While playing in the LBBPR (Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League), the Brooklyn Dodgers offered him a contract to play with their Triple-A squad in Montreal. Clemente accepted the offer to play in Montreal but while he was with the team, his talent was overlooked. Pirates’ scout, Clyde Sukeforth, noticed that Clemente was being used as a bench player on the team and had a lot more potential than that. After discussing with the team’s manager, Max Macon, about the possibility of drafting the young right fielder, the possibility became reality as the Pirates took the right fielder with their first pick in the rookie draft.

On April 17, 1955, Clemente made his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game of a double header against the Brooklyn Dodgers. At the time, racial tension with the local media and teammates were a common thing for players who were not white or born in North America. Clemente made it known from day one what he thought about the issue, telling the media, “I don’t believe in colour.” He told them that while he was growing up, his parents taught him to never discriminate against someone based on ethnicity.

Clemente would continue playing baseball in Puerto Rico, playing with the Santurce Crabbers in the Puerto Rican baseball winter league in the offseason. By 1959, Clemente stopped playing in the winter league and instead, served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves, who he would continue to serve for until September 1964.

In 1960, Clemente’s bat came to life in many ways. He finished the season with 16 homeruns; 94 runs batted in; and had a batting average of .314. He helped lead the Pirates to a 95-59 record; the most wins by the organization in a single season since 1925 when they won their second World Series. That year the Pirates ended up meeting the New York Yankees in the World Series; a team that featured All-Stars such as Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra and finished with the best record in baseball that season. Despite being outscored by the Yankees 55-27, outhit 91-60, and outbatted .338 to .256 in the seven-game series, the Pirates took home the World Series that season as they defeated the Yankees 10-9 in the seventh game at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field as Pirates’ second baseman, Bill Mazeroski, smacked the game winning homerun over the left field wall in the bottom of the 9^th inning. With Clemente and the Pirates winning the World Series, he became first Hispanic starter to win the grand prize.

The following season Clemente would hit over 20 homeruns as he finished the season with 23 homeruns; 89 runs batted in; and batted a cool .351. He would also take home his first Gold Glove Award that season; something he would continue to do for the next 11 seasons until his final season in 1972. Throughout the years, Clemente would go on to win the 1966 League MVP and another World Series in 1971 where he was also named the World Series MVP. With Clemente being awarded both the league MVP in ’66 and the World Series MVP in ’71, he became the first Hispanic player to win both awards.

Throughout his career Clemente was always making trips back home to deliver items to those were less privileged. He would bring food for the families who couldn’t afford to eat every day, as well as baseball equipment for the kids to stay busy and active. Clemente was hoping that by doing this, the kids back at home would work hard to achieve their goals and make their dreams reality one day just like he was able to. He didn’t come from the wealthiest family so he knew what type of situation they were in back at home.

In December of 1972, a massive earthquake hit Nicaragua that nearly destroyed everything. After hearing the news, Clemente immediately started arranging emergency relief flights. He later learned that the first three relief flights he sent out with the aid packages were diverted by corrupt officials of the Somoza government and the packages were never delivered to the quake victims. On December 31, 1972, about one week after the earthquake hit, Clemente decided to accompany the fourth relief flight hoping that his presence would make a difference and ensure that the aid would be delivered to the victims. The plane Clemente boarded had a history of mechanical problems and sub-par flight personnel, on top of already being overloaded by 4,200 pounds. Immediately after takeoff the flight crashed into the ocean off the coast of Isla Verde, Puerto Rico. Clemente’s body was never found.

Roberto Clemente finished his successful career with 3,000 hits; 166 triples; 240 homeruns; 1,305 runs batted in; and batted .317 over his 18-year career. He managed to hit an inside-the-park grand slam in his career, something that will most likely never happen again, and is one of four players to have 10 or more Gold Gloves with a lifetime batting average of .317. There is now an award in Major League Baseball called the Roberto Clemente Award; which is handed out each year to the player who best follows his example of humanitarian work. When the Pirates moved into PNC Park, they made the right field wall 21-feet tall to honour Clemente and the number he made famous.  They also placed the statue honouring him right outside the stadium on the corner nearest to the Roberto Clemente Bridge. One year after his death, Clemente was honoured once again by being elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, becoming the first person to ever be excluded from the five-year waiting period due to the situation.

Pirate fans will never forget the man who brought their city together. He gave the city something to cheer about and a reason to come out to the ballpark every night. He helped rebirth America’s Pastime in Pittsburgh and more importantly he opened the door for Hispanic players, just like Jackie Robinson did for him when he broke the colour barrier in 1946. Roberto Clemente was one of a kind. His heart was bigger than his bat ever was and he was a role model in every aspect of life. He will always be remembered by Pirates fans and baseball fans everywhere, not just for what he accomplished on the field, but for the opportunities he created off of them.

Born to Pamela and Robert Tebow, Tim almost didn’t make it into the world as his mother Pam suffered a life-threatening infection with a pathogenic amoeba while pregnant. Due to the drugs used to rouse her from a coma and to treat her dysentery, the fetus experienced a severe placental abruption so the doctor recommended an abortion to protect her life in case of a stillbirth. His mother ignored the doctor’s opinion of the abortion and went through with the birth.

With both his parents serving as Christian Baptist missionaries in the Philippines at the time of his birth, it’s pretty obvious where he gets his generosity from. Tim has always lived with a ‘put others first’ attitude and has always devoted his time to those less fortunate. The native of Makati City in the Philippines and the youngest of five children was home-schooled, along with his other siblings, by their mother who did her best to instill the family’s Christian beliefs along the way.

Residing in Jacksonville, Florida, Tim Tebow found it hard to get on a football team since he didn’t attend school. He started off attending Trinity Christian Academy for one year where he made appearances at tight end and linebacker. With the school being more of a rushing team and Tim’s desire to play quarterback, his mother moved with him to an apartment in a different county so he could legally get the right playing time on the right team. Playing quarterback at Nease High School would be the beginning of something special for Tebow. He would go on to be named Florida’s Player of the Year, Player of the Year in his senior year, as well as Florida’s Mr. Football. Despite being in the spotlight for his football talent, Tim returned every summer to the Philippines with his father prior to college to help out with his father’s orphanage and missionary work.

The two schools Tebow was looking at after high school was the University of Florida and the University of Alabama. Since he grew up in Jacksonville and both of his parents attended and met at the University of Florida, Tebow decided to go with them for his college career. He received an athletic scholarship to attend the school since he was one of the most sought out quarterback prospects in the nation. At the University of Florida he would go on to build a reputation for himself as a player who never gave up and would always do what it took to help the team win. He left the school with a Heisman Trophy, Manning Award, William V. Campbell Trophy, two Maxwell Awards, two SEC Championships, two BCS National Championships, two ESPY Awards for Best Male College Athlete, the Disney Spirit Award, was named Sports Illustrated’s College Football Player of the Decade and many, many more awards and honors were awarded to him throughout the years. He finished his college career with 9,285 throwing yards and 88 touchdown passes as well as rushing for 2,947 yards and scoring 57 touchdowns of his own.

While playing at the University of Florida, Tim Tebow wanted to create a foundation of his own so he could follow in father’s footsteps. Since it was against NCAA rules for a college student to have their own foundation, Tim and several other UF students launched First and 15 under the auspices of the Office of Student Government and with NCAA approval. The program has helped many disadvantaged children over the years and has paved the way for many more programs at the University of Florida.

Shortly after his time with the UF Gators was done, Tebow started up the Tim Tebow Foundation almost immediately in January, 2010. As one of the bigger names and more impressive players entering the draft, Tim was supposed to be selected within the first couple of picks in the draft but dropped to the 25^th slot where the Denver Broncos selected him. Before he even showed up to training camp, let alone put on his first NFL jersey, Tebow was ready to give back to those in need and already was. He has taken full advantage of his name and skills as he inspires others and helps make a difference in peoples lives throughout the world. The Tim Tebow Foundation does work in many places such as Gainesville, Orlando and Jacksonville, Florida; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles, California; Denver, Colorado; Thailand and the Philippines. He recently teamed up with Furniture Row’s Denver Mattress Company to raise $200,000 to help support orphanage services like his father. He is a follower of God and tries to show children everywhere around the world that a little faith, hard work and giving back to others in need can get you somewhere in life.

If you spend most of your life dedicated to helping those who really need it, something good is bound to come your way one day. Tim Tebow’s high school and college careers were impressive to say the least, but now he’s on the big stage. He’s only started three career games to date but you have to start small and build your way up. With the NFL Lockout now over, Tim Tebow is more ready than ever. He was the first Bronco to show up to the team’s training facility and reports everywhere are talking about how he is going to be the starter for the Denver Broncos this upcoming season. He has a relentless attitude and mindset so it’s going to take more than a little nagging injury to keep him off the field this year and for many years to come.

He has brought light to so many people around the world who live in the dark and has helped show them the way of God. He has always put the kids first because he understands how important a second chance is in life. Here’s a guy whose mother was told to have an abortion because they both wouldn’t make it. Now, he’s not only in the NFL, but he’s known worldwide for his charitable efforts he has been putting forth since he was younger.

To learn more about the Tim Tebow Foundation, visit http://www.timtebowfoundation.org/

Drafted 2^nd overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics at the time, Durant was speculated to go first overall in the draft but was beaten out by Greg Oden as the Portland Trail Blazers took him with the first selection. Shortly after being drafted by the SuperSonics, Durant was offered contracts from both Adidas ($70 million) and Nike ($60 million) for seven years. As a lifetime supporter of Nike, Durant decided to sign with Nike over Adidas and was signed to the second highest endorsement contract as a rookie; only LeBron James ranks higher than Durant in that category.

In his first season in the NBA, Durant did nothing but impress the world. He was the NBA Western Conference Player of the Month for five months during the season, won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He became just the third teenager to average more than 20 points per game throughout a season and became the first player in NBA history to score 42 points at such a young age (19 years 200 days). His average of 20.3 points per game were good enough to help him set a new record amongst the SuperSonics organization as he broke a 40-year old record for most points per game throughout the season by a rookie.

By the end of the season, the SuperSonics knew that their time was up in Seattle as there was a lot of talk about the team relocating to Oklahoma City, especially after the city showed how welcoming they are to the NBA and having their own team after the Hornets temporarily relocated there from 2005-07 after Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. Now a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Durant did what was expected of him since draft day and that was becoming the new face of the organization.  He represented the Sophomores in the Rookie/Sophomore T-Mobile Challenge where he took home MVP honors for setting a new record for points scored with 46. He was also asked to take place in the first ever H-O-R-S-E contest; beating out Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson and Memphis Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo in the event.

If his first two seasons in the NBA didn’t land Durant on the map of stardom, his third season without a doubt landed him on there. He led Oklahoma City to a 50-win season; won his second straight H-O-R-S-E competition; he coached the Rookies at the Rookie/Sophomore Challenge; was named to his first All-Star team and became the youngest player in NBA history to win the NBA Scoring Title. He finished second in votes behind LeBron James for MVP voting and posted 25 or more points in 29 straight games which was good enough for the second longest streak in league history. At the end of the season he was named to the 2010 All-NBA First Team along with fellow superstars LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant. Aside from all the honors and awards that came along with the 2009-10 season; Durant showed how mature he had become by helping the Thunder clinch a playoff spot in the heavily talented Western Conference. It was the first taste of the playoffs for both himself and the organization but it was just the beginning of what was and what is to come for the talented Thunder team.

Prior to this past season, Durant signed an extension with the Thunder that would make him roughly $86 million over the next five years with the team. He helped lead Team USA to a gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship where he was also named the Tournament MVP. He broke more records with USA as he recorded the most points in a tournament (205) and most points in a single game (38). He became the spokesperson for P’Tones Records; a non-profit after school music program in his native city of Washington, D.C. He helped P’Tones apply for the Pepsi Refresh Grant to receive a $250,000 grant so they could build studios across the United States and provide high school students with hands-on recording skills and insight into the music industry.

He had a holiday celebration for 120 kids in Oklahoma City during Christmas time courtesy of Citizens Caring for Children; which saw each of the kids enjoy a pizza party courtesy of Pizza Hut, games, hoops and face painting. Aside from the pizza party and events that took place, each child left the celebration with a Nike backpack that contained Kevin’s favourite things such as: an iPod Shuffle; iTunes gift card; Skullcandy headphones; and Nike gear. He also presented Citizens Caring for Children with a flat-screen television, a Nintendo Wii, an Xbox 360 and games for the facility’s activity room.

Another tradition for the Thunder, especially around the holidays, is to treat a family in need to groceries. The Thunder teamed up with Homeland Stores to treat a family selected from the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and/or the Salvation Army of Oklahoma to a grocery shopping spree. Durant took a 25-year old single woman who is the sole caretaker of her six nieces and nephews all within the age range of seven months and seven years old out on a grocery shopping spree and later gave her a $500 gift card to help her with groceries in the future.

Kevin Durant has never forgotten where he came from and where it all began. He spent a lot of time at the Seat Pleasant Activity Center and he realizes how much that place did for him in terms of growing up and playing basketball for a living. He donated $25,000 to the center so they could renovate their game room and lounge area. Thanks to Durant’s donation, the center was successfully refurbished and is now known as Durant’s Den. The center was able to put in a brand new vinyl floor made to replicate a basketball court, two 55-inch LCD flat-screen televisions, a projection screen, an Xbox 360, a PlayStation 3, bar stools, couches and lounge chairs. Aside from the money he has donated to the center, Durant has also donated school supplies, shoes, sports equipments and uniforms whenever the center has requested help.

He understands how blessed he is and how far he has come to get to the point he is at right now. After re-signing with the Thunder he tweeted “God Is Great, me and my family came a long way” on his Twitter. One of the youngest players in the NBA; Durant has made a sudden impact on the league in every way possible.  A player with a lot of talent and skill, you can tell he is one person who doesn’t take any of it for granted. He knows that the only thing he can do from here on in is get better and that’s exactly what he is doing. As his game and leadership continue to grow year after year on the court, he is becoming the mature and responsible athlete people were expecting him to become off the court and gives back in any situation that he can. He is very grateful to those who have supported him and to those who continue to support him every single day of his life.

To some, the act was irresponsible and frowned upon; with some calling Burke a bad GM. Others saw the move as noble and much respected; the leader of one of Canada’s most iconic franchises visited our countries heroes on our country’s birthday. Throughout his time in Toronto, Brian Burke has always been vocal in supporting our troops and has paid multiple visits to our troops halfway across the world. Since Burke has joined the Maple Leafs organization, the sense of pride within the city of Toronto and the pride in our country has become relevant game in and game out.

Maple Leafs defenseman and former first-round selection Luke Schenn also made the trip with Burke, as he too is an avid supporter of the Canadian Troops. Luke’s Troops gives men and women from the Canadian Armed Forces a chance to go out and watch Leaf games, as well as raise awareness and support for families of military members. Through Luke’s Troops, those who serve for our country are recognized and applauded by the thousands in attendance for what they do for us; an ovation which they may not receive day in and out.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are not the only team in the NHL or professional sports who show admiration for those who risk their lives for the millions of civilians back home. Gratitude and appreciation for what these men and women do is constantly visible at sporting events and even sports entertainment such as the WWE. Don Cherry of Coaches Corner constantly reminds viewers each week on Hockey Night in Canada about the sacrifices so many individuals make allowing us to live comfortably. When it comes to the Canadian Armed Forces, the men and women taking part don’t always receive the respect and recognition they deserve and it seems at times it is to be kept on the backburner.

For Brian Burke, causing a stir while doing what seems to be the right thing to do is nothing new. Burke participates in Toronto’s Pride Parade every year in honor of his late son Brendan Burke, and has connected the blue and white Maple Leaf to the city of Toronto on more than a hockey level. A true advocate for doing what he believes in and putting others first has made Burke a positive role model for hockey and sports fans young and old.

From a hockey standpoint, questions will continue to be raised as to whether Burke should have gone overseas on Canada Day or not; but from a humanitarian outlook, what he did was the right thing to do. On what was an emotional day for the Canadian Soldiers as it was their last Canada Day they would spend in Afghanistan; Brian Burke and Luke Schenn took the opportunity to thank them for what they have put on the line for the last five years and everything they have sacrificed to protect our country.