Outside Coverage

List of websites/blogs that have supported & posted something regarding "The Hockey Volunteer" project (earliest post first, please scroll down):

Chris Lucas of LucasonSports.com - "Have Skates Will Travel"

• http://www.lucasonsports.com/2008/12/09/have-skates-will-travel/

Sarah Elizabeth Foster of SarahElizabethFoster.com - "Adam Sherlip"

• http://www.sarahelizabethfoster.com/blog/2008/12/11/adam-sherlip.html

Michele Catalano of ABigVictory.blogspot.com - "Hockey and Hope "

• http://abigvictory.blogspot.com/2008/12/hockey-and-hope.html

Russell Scibetti of TheBusinessofSports.com - "The Culture of Sports: Start Them Young"

• http://www.thebusinessofsports.com/?p=534

Paul Kukla & Alanah McGinley of KuklasKorner.com - "Making the World Better Through Hockey"

• http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/hockey/comments/making_the_world_better_through_hockey

Joe Flasher of JoeFlasher.com - "Using Hockey as an Instrument For Change"

• http://joeflasher.com/wordpress/?p=545

Heather B. of TopShelfCookies.blogspot.com - "And Now For Something Completely Different..."

• http://topshelfcookies.blogspot.com/2008/12/and-now-for-something-completely_17.html
  

PJ Swenson of Sharkspage.com - "Hockey Notes - December 18" - scroll down in the article

• http://www.sharkspage.com/2008_12_01_archive.html#2067459461293764170

Kyle Kosior of IllegalCurve.com - "Afternoon Delight Thirstday"

• http://www.illegalcurve.com/2008/12/18/afternoon-delight-thirstday/
  

Tyler McKinna of NHLDigest.com - "Hockey Volunteer Warming Hearts Around the World"

• http://www.nhldigest.com/hockey-volunteerism-warms-the-heart/
  

Damon Donovan of HockeyHeaven.blogspot.com - "Hockey for the Holidays"

• http://nhlhockeyheaven.blogspot.com/2008/12/hockey-for-holidays.html
  

Dee Karl of 7thWoman.blogspot.com - "The Brotherhood of Hockey - Perfect for Christmas"/"The International Brotherhood of Hockey"

• http://7thwoman.blogspot.com/2008/12/brotherhood-of-hockey-perfect-for.html
  
• http://bleacherreport.com/articles/96847-the-international-brotherhood-of-hockey
  
• http://fans.nhl.com/members/seventh_woman/blogs/26032
  

Richard Pollock of IllegalCurve.com - "Some Saturday Reading"

• http://www.illegalcurve.com/2008/12/27/some-saturday-reading/

Rory & Eric of 5-hole.com - "One Puck at a Time"

• http://5hole.wordpress.com/2008/12/30/one-puck-at-a-time/
  

Kat of SportsGirlKat.com - "Five Questions With...The Hockey Volunteer"

• http://www.sportsgirlkat.com/?p=541
  

Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo! Sports Puck Daddy Blog - "Puck Headlines: Attempting to Rain on the Blackhawks Love-Fest"

• http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Puck-Headlines-Attempting-to-rain-on-the-Blackh?urn=nhl,131632
  

The success of this program is contingent upon the support of warm-hearted, idealistic people & everyone listed above fits that description! Please return the favor and visit their websites and see what they are up to and writing about!

If you have a website and have written about this program, please tell me & I'll link back (plus I want to thank you for your support)! If you would like to write something on your website, please contact me as well, as I'm more than happy and available to contribute to your blog.

Special thanks to Russel Scibetti (@rscibetti) of The Business of Sports, Paul Kukla & Alanah McGinley (@alanah1) of Kukla's Korner, and Tyler McKinna (@nhldigest) for allowing me to be a guest blogger on their sites, and to Sarah Elizabeth Foster of SarahElizabethFoster.com for conducting the video interview.

"Aren't there more important issues in the world?"

This was the question posed to me by a friend over some Starbucks this evening after she told me she wasn't going to donate, and I felt like I was punched in the gut.

The full question/statement she posed went something like this (paraphrasing): "Aren't there more important issues in the world, like hunger, poverty, war, education, culture? How does this help?"

My response, through my dumbfoundedness, was that going to Kashmir is not exactly a dream vacation for many people (although it should be...Srinagar is apparently gorgeous!).  I am also not going to pretend that I'm not going to a beautiful region within Jammu and Kashmir that is somewhat removed from the conflict between India and Pakistan, is predominantly Buddhist, in one of the lease dense areas in the world, in the Himalayas.  A key point to make is also that Ladakh is NOT Kashmir...they are in the same state, but are very different regions with a different culture, different people, different EVERYTHING.  It is important to recognize this before making any inferences and judgments.

At the same time, Ladakh's border is with China, which is also in dispute with India. SECMOL, the organization I am looking to volunteer for, had a recent scandal with a local government official in Ladakh that tried to sabotage the work they were doing, and cut them off from the outside world. It took the outcries of people from around the world that experienced first-hand what SECMOL was accomplishing. The actions of the prior volunteers caused the Prime Minister of India to remove official of his post.

To recount the significance, this is a peaceful, Buddhist village that runs on solar-electricity and bio-sustainable practices, that is trying to provide children from a remote and tense part of the world the opportunity to get a meaningful education and develop a significant culture. Since rice has been subsidized by the government, the staple agricultural industry, rice, has been effectively wiped out.

What that means, is that these are people that have very little income, poor education, governmental corruption, and the potential for war from either side of their state. Those are the problems she identified, right?

I don't have any grandiose images of negotiating border disputes between countries, nor am I looking to ride the coattails of idealists and travel to a foreign land just to shoot a hockey puck.

When I am with the Ladakhis in Phey, I will be a villager. I will be doing at least an hour of labor on the campus, whether it be farming in the greenhouse, or making sure the solar panels work. I'll also be helping the kids and residents learn English, the language of business and of the educated across the subcontinent (other than Hindi and English, there are 17 official languages in India and over 1,650 dialects). I will be teaching them how to ice skate, as well as teaching the ones that can skate how to play hockey (or improve their skills).

As stated in the mission of my program, the goal is to spread happiness and good karma. If I can achieve this, and continue for year to come to achieve the goal of impacting the lives of people I meet, using the foundation and values of ice hockey as my language, I am confident that as a whole, we can all slowly change the world. If I reach 5 people or 5 million people, the pleasure I will take in other people's happiness will be worthwhile.

The important part is trying.

The state of happiness, love, and compassion will change the world. And this starts with every idealist working together to achieve this and share it, since we can't rely on the ignorant, the cynics, or the skeptics.

Let's prove them wrong!

Realistic Idealist*

I just returned from Green Drinks NYC Island to Island Holiday Party (greendrinksnyc.org), where I met a handful of people as idealistic and enthusiastic as I am about my trip to India. It's very difficult to remain motivated through your idealism and passion when others can't understand, or flat-out insult, what you are trying to do (pessimism is one of the worst traits in people).  Fortunately, when you meet peoplewith deep, vibrant enthusiasm and optimism - if not idealism - it's a blessing.  Those are the people I am trying to call to action to support my cause!  

YOU!

The praise and energy I received from people today will continue to motivate me through this journey, but I need your help.  Please donate...I am looking to depart in less than 2 weeks!

Shout-outs to supporters that are putting positive energy into the Universe:

• C.C. Chapman - Managing Partner of The Advance Guard - Blogger, Podcaster & all-around great guy (@cc_chapman, cc-chapman.com, theadvanceguard.com) - for giving some pointers and showing general support, and indirectly being responsible for this journey thanks to his podcast Managing the Gray (check it out on iTunes)!
• @Dani3boyz for spreading the word
• @Goaliegirl for being the first donor
• Sammy - former schoolmate & teammate on the Red Dogs (college roller hockey team) for donating
• Eric - also former schoolmate & teammate on the Red Dogs (college roller hockey team) for donating
• Angela Ruggiero (mentioned many times on this blog) - she got me hired straight out of my internship with the Islanders specifically to work with her on Project Hope, and we remain close ever since.  That is something I will be eternally greatful for, and I am proud to call her my friend.  Get ready for Angela Ruggiero hockey camps!
• Julie - one of my best friends in the world who has endured every stupid act and idea of mine, but still continues to support, for donating and being a loyal friend in so many ways!
• Chris Lucas (@Hockeyskates) - for his awesome blogging support: http://www.lucasonsports.com/2008/12/09/have-skates-will-travel/
• The folks I met today at Green Drinks were amazing, and I am incredibly appreciative that I had the honor of meeting and speaking with you.  There are a few in particular that really stood out, and in due time will get their shout-outs!
• My Mother, for her understanding of the reasons why I need to do this.

*footnote:

"Realistic Idealist" is a phrase I have been using for some time now.  John McCain used it in a speech during his campaign.  Without getting into politics (although my political affiliation is probably apparent through my idealism, I did not start using it after him, and only realized he used it when I did a Google search on the phrase.  What I'm saying is: John McCain copied me.