Donate to support the development of youth hockey programs for boys and girls under-14 in Bosnia!

1) There are currently no options for Bosnian children to purchase equipment or have their skates sharpened

2) $5000 (100 People x $50) will cover the cost of the skate sharpener

3) Additional funds will go towards shipping costs, equipment, and the running of the youth program in Sarajevo

Why?
"He who does not serve others, will only find regret"

The siege of Sarajevo remains one of the most traumatic experiences in recent Balkan history. While sport alone can not alleviate the effects it has had, a fresh sheet of ice and a group of your closest friends provides a unique therapeutic response not attainable elsewhere. Hockey can serve as an outlet to clear minds, develop self-esteem, create a sense of belonging, and to develop the leadership skills necessary to become role models for other children. Support this cause and help kids be kids, support this cause and help make a difference.

The Story

While visiting Bosnia this past summer I had the opportunity to catch up with an old friend Mirzet Hodzic, the captain of the Bosnian national hockey team, over dinner in Sarajevo’s old town (Baščaršija). I was happy to learn that the team was still together and still playing, I hadn’t seen him in nearly ten years, since we first met at a tournament in St. John's, Newfoundland. At the time, the Bosnian national team was being coached by a fellow Canadian who had moved to Sarajevo after the siege to use hockey as a tool to help heal some of the trauma being experienced by Bosnian youth after the war. Mirzet had now taken over the reigns of the program and was focused on developing a new generation of Bosnian hockey players, taking them off the streets and giving them a place to belong on the rink. He had managed to secure a grant for equipment for the program from the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA), however due to the popularity and growth of his program, more resources were desperately needed. “We used to pray that we don’t break a stick” he said, there is no where for them to purchase new equipment in Bosnia and have to purchase what they need when they travel abroad to compete. Feeling guilty I knew I had a bag of equipment I didn’t use sitting in my basement back home, and anything I did need was only a short drive away to my local sporting goods store. Knowing that there were probably thousands of people like me with equipment not being used, I asked if it would be okay to organize an equipment drive for them, and asked what they most urgently needed. “Equipment from head to toe for boys and girls under fourteen, and a skate sharpener”, not too difficult, I was sure the Toronto hockey community would easily be able to put the funds together to help them make the necessary purchases.

After looking at different companies the average cost of a skate sharpener comes to around $5000, we’ve requested $8000 so that we would have some additional resources to ship the equipment we raise and the sharpener as well, with any leftover donations going towards purchases of new equipment for the kids. Under Mirzet’s leadership the children will develop new friendships, discipline, chivalry, and an opportunity to take their minds off some of the circumstances life has handed them.

To learn more about Mirzet's story and hockey in Bosnia click here 

Mirzet on Coach’s Corner with Don Cherry

Photos