From securing corporate sponsorships to tying hundred of skates, Hasham sees his labor of love come to fruition every time a kid steps on the ice for the first time. BY JARED CLINTON
There came a point when Moezine Hasham began to lose count of how many pairs of skates he had tied. It could have been when the number eclipsed a couple dozen. More likely, it was when it reached into the hundreds.
It should be said, though, that this failure of memory is a point of pride for Hasham. He’d have it no other way. As founder and executive director of Hockey 4 Youth, pulling tight the laces on a first-timer's first pair of skates is his opportunity to share a special and personal moment with those he has sought to reach through his charitable venture: Canadian youth, particularly newcomers, who want to learn about and experience the national pastime in a safe environment.
“I use it as an opportunity to get to know the kids,” Hasham said. “I like learning their story, where they're from, what their ambitions are in life, because we’re more than hockey. We’re dealing with teenagers who are, in a lot of cases, new to the country. But even the ones who have grown up here, they've never had access to the sport, never had an opportunity to play, so anytime I'm able to spend time with them, be it on the ice, tying skates, helping with equipment, that, to me, is my happy place.”
And it’s a happy place Hasham has fostered over countless hours, turning his labor of love into a full-time venture to which he has dedicated nearly every waking moment since beginning this deeply meaningful journey in 2015.
To understand what Hockey 4 Youth means to Hasham, it’s important to understand his story and two snapshots in particular, which planted the seeds for the charity’s formation.
The first is Hasham’s own introduction to the game, which came first through street hockey and later led to the ice through the actions of a neighbor who not only encouraged Hasham’s parents to enroll him in the sport but provided him with equipment her son had outgrown. That moment of charity from his neighbor, who he respectfully and deferentially refers to as “Mrs. Brown,” led Hasham to witness first-hand the diversity, and at times the lack thereof, that can exist within the sport. It also allowed him to begin forging his lifelong passion for the game.
But as important, and perhaps more so, was a yearlong sabbatical in 2013, during which Hasham travelled the world, stopping for six months to spend time in Uganda with his ailing father. It was during this time that Hasham, whose parents were exiled from Uganda as a result of the since-deposed dictator Idi Amin's ordered expulsion of South Asians in 1972, learned of the way in which the upheaval dashed his father's own career dreams. It was then that Hasham resolved to pursue his own passions. And so, after finishing contract work with the Pan American Games in 2015 following years spent in corporate philanthropy. Hockey 4 Youth was born.
“I had no backup plan,” he said. “I knew could go back into the corporate sector or private sector because by this time I was well-seasoned in community relations and corporate philanthropy and all that. If I needed to jump back in, I would, but didn't want to. I really, really wanted this to work.”
For Hasham, that meant weathering some lean years during which almost every cent was funnelled back into Hockey 4 Youth. Making ends meet during those times was a matter of leaning on his support system, not the least of which was his “rock,” then-girlfriend and now wife, Monika, who sits on the Hockey 4 Youth board. But despite the challenges, the charity has had a steady, if at times inconsistent, progression.
In its first year, Hockey 4 Youth had one pilot program. By 2017, with two programs in operation, the organization received its first major grant, from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Combined with the exposure and backing that came along with it, that led to a third program. Since then, Hockey 4 Youth has experienced something of a boom, more than doubling in size over the past several years despite the challenges in both on-ice activity and fundraising presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the factors most aiding in Hockey 4 Youth's growth is its clear vision and commitment to creating access to the game. To wit, beyond his own history with the sport as a first-generation Canadian, Hasham is driven to bring the game to Canadian newcomers, spurred by the result of a 2014 report from the Institute for Canadian Citizenship. The report indicated that while 71 percent of new citizens expressed an interest in hockey, a mere one percent actually participated. Couple that with the financial impediments and Hasham saw an opportunity to close the gap.
“If you're a 16-year-old girl and you've just arrived here from Syria, and even if your parents have money, it’s not like you can just sign up and start playing hockey,” Hasham said. “The minor-hockey system is not designed like that. And that's not a knock. That's just the way it is. So, for us, can we create a safe, inclusive environment for these kids? Can we give them an opportunity to develop friendships the way we did when we were growing up playing hockey or other sports?”
Hockey 4 Youth strives to create that environment by removing the barriers, including securing ice time, equipment and transportation to and from the rink. The sessions often take place after school and include supervision from teachers and volunteer coaches. There's also off-ice experiential learning that elevates the program beyond its on-ice element. The latter is called the TEACH program, which stands for Technology, Entrepreneurship, Arts, Community Giving and Healthy Active Living.
“A lot of times what happens with kids, especially low-income kids, is they don't have access,” Hasham said. “They might not even be leaving their community. Taking them out of the community, taking them to a hockey game, taking them down to Bay St. and doing financial-literacy training, it opens their eyes to what else is out there.”
All of this, of course, is made possible through donations and partnerships. Beyond their initial grant in 2017, the Leafs partnered with the Buffalo Sabres and the NHL to begin a legacy project in Hamilton in commemoration of the 2022 Heritage Classic. After its launch in October 2022, the project became the 11th Hockey 4 Youth program, adding to recent programs in Ottawa and Montreal, the latter of which was aided by funding from the Canadiens. Other partners have included Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart, Bauer, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and Scotiabank.
Securing financial support, Hasham said, is the hard part. But the work is worth it through the impact the program is having and legacy it's creating. By his most recent count, more than 550 kids have come through the program and more than 36 countries of origin are represented, including Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Philippines, Somalia and Ethiopia. And no matter how long the hours or how difficult the fundraising, it’s all worth it for Hasham after those skates are tied.
“What I love about our program and when you do a launch event is getting these kids on the ice and seeing that first step,” he said. “That first step is the same for them as it was for me, as it was for anyone who’s playing professional women’s hockey or professional men’s hockey. We all had that first step, and it doesn't change. It doesn't matter where you’re from. That first step is the first step.”
From The Rookie Edition of The Hockey News: Published February 2023