A Maple Leafs calendar and a tale of survival: How a small act of charity can have big results

Have you seen the number of games the NBA and NFL will play on Christmas Day? It looks like the train schedule board at Union Station.

Big business has clearly taken over their leagues. I, for one, am happy that bug hasn’t bitten the NHL just yet.

It’s no secret that families make great sacrifices for their kids to play youth hockey. Hockey is one of the most demanding sports out there and NHL families also make great sacrifices. The Christmas holiday is their only time during the long season to spend quality time together. It also gives players and their families opportunities to give back.

Back in the 1920s, the Toronto Maple Leafs started the holiday tradition of visiting children in local hospitals. I was so proud to be a part of that event when I played for the Leafs. The faces of young children would brighten with excitement when we walked into their rooms.

It would be hard for anyone to walk away not touched by the spirit of these kids, in the midst of their own struggles, with smiles plastered on their faces.

My teammates and I would leave the hospital inspired, touched by the children’s magic. It is still one thing I admire most about the Leafs organization, their commitment to helping the community and the chance for us as players to take part.

Not surprisingly the unsung heroes for many of the NHL teams at this time of year are the players’ wives. Every team I played for has had a strong “wives’ room.” Most people don’t know about the charity work they do behind the scenes. The Leafs wives were no different. Their 1996 Leafs holiday charity touched our family more than I ever imagined it could.

That year the wives planned a Christmas calendar that became very personal to me. The wives created the concept and organized the photography for a calendar that included casual family photos of all the players. Denise Clark, who is married to Leafs captain Wendel Clark, spearheaded the campaign. A friend of the players, Mike Holiday — a.k.a. Fridge — covered the printing costs. The Leafs PR and communications team blasted it out to fans, pre-Twitter. Between periods, the wives sold the calendars to fans. Over the years, that group effort has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to the SickKids cardiac unit.

Fast forward six months, when the holiday charity drive was a distant memory. In June 1997 my nephew, Adam, was born a “blue baby,” a term used when a newborn struggles to get enough oxygen. My sister, Tess, was in such shock she can barely recall the details. I had just shown up at the hospital, so happy for Tess. I saw my nephew being wheeled out in a portable incubator with a police escort to take him from North York General to SickKids. The truth was, his vitals had dropped so quickly they did not expect Adam to survive the journey. The SickKids chaplain was waiting for the baby to arrive at the ER.

Adam held on through that long drive from North York General to SickKids. He was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, where the heart vessels cannot oxygenate the blood. The condition requires open heart surgery. He was kept on oxygen for six days until he was strong enough to withstand open heart surgery on a heart the size of a walnut. This is where the magical part comes in.

During the six days Adam had to wait to gain strength, he was placed on a brand new piece of equipment at SickKids, a machine that held open the heart vessels and kept him alive until he could have the life-saving surgery. It was the only machine of its kind in the province and it had just arrived — thanks to the proceeds of that holiday calendar.

I remember telling Denise Clark, and anyone else who would listen, what an amazing thing the Leafs and their special fans had done. It saved Adam’s life and it would save many more children’s lives. Adam thrived after his surgery. He’s a graduate of Brock University’s sport management program, now working on a PhD at the University of Waterloo. Adam is doing just fine in life.

At Christmas time, we have an extra special chance to do things that make others’ lives better. The Toronto Star runs the Santa Claus Fund, which aims to make sure 50,000 underprivileged children will receive a Christmas present. The goal this year is $1.5 million. Proudfoot Corner is the sports department’s contribution to the fund.

Please support the fund. Remember, small acts of kindness can make a big difference. I know that buying a calendar or supporting the Santa Claus Fund can change the course of someone’s life.

And in that spirit I wish for every one of you a safe and magical holiday season.

On the Corner:

We kick off the Corner with $5,000 from The Randy Starkman Foundation in memory of the legendary Toronto Star amateur sports writer. Randy devoted a lot of time and energy to making the world a better place, and the foundation’s aim is to continue those efforts.

Our extended Toronto Star family is always generous: back this week is Chris Zelkovich with $105 … Phil Bingley with $100 … Dave Perkins with $300 in memory of Joe Feinstein … Rick and Lorraine Matsumoto with $200 … more nods to the former Star family include George Bigliardi of North York with $100 in memory of “my good friend Jim Proudfoot, alive through Proudfoot Corner … a cause near and dear to his heart.” … Brian Williams of Willowdale with $200 in memory of Milt Dunnell and Jim Proudfoot … Peter Rose of Toronto with $250 in memory of Grant Smith and Mort Greenberg … Robin Kirk from Toronto with $500 in memory of “Bette who was a Christmas baby (2008) and Norm Kirk (2022) a longtime employee of the Toronto Star, who would have been 96 on Dec. 1”… Susan Ware from Lindsay is a former Toronto Star tour guide from the 1970s who donates $100 in memory of “my parents, George and Eleanor Seto as well as Börje Salming, a great Maple Leaf.”

We have great representation from Scarborough as Jim Amodeo returns with $200, Joseph Roche gives $150 and John Butkovich gives $100 in honour of a great bunch of past and present members of the Zig-Zag hockey club … Bill Kennedy from Uxbridge donates $50 in memory of “David Stickney, outstanding teacher and coach of Leaside high school” … also with $50 is Toronto’s Peter Ross, Peter O’Donnell from Mississauga who gives in memory of Murray Johns, and Toronto’s Howard Birnie in honour of “my late wife Marjorie and grandson Dalton” … Leaside Baseball is also back with $100 in memory of Jack Graham, former umpire-in-chief who died recently at 101.

Nana Molly of Mississauga is honouring her sporty grandkids, Brooklynn, Jordynn and Lucas Pollard with a donation of $300 … Santa’s elves Tony, Vito and Mario send $200 … Roy Vardy of Woodstock is back with $105 … John Hagen of Sebright gives $250 …Dorothy and Joe Ryan of Kingston are longtime donors who give $200 … Steve Proniuk of Aurora gives $200 in memory of “our dad, Teodor (Ted) Proniuk”… also from Aurora, Lori Appleton with $105 in memory of “my siblings, Steven and Beth” … Patricia Huffman of Etobicoke gives $150 in memory of John Peanuts, Kay O’Flaherty and Paul “Bubs” O’Flaherty … Ian Huffman of Etobicoke is back with $200 in memory of “Mo Schenk and Mike Duggan, good friends and referees”

Chase, Tuscan, Charlotte and Evelyn of Toronto give $200 as a Christmas gift for Granddad … also from Toronto are Jean and Mike Palermo with $350 … Robert and Arlene Sproston of Orangeville are back with $200 … Richard Kory of North York remembers Steve Cook with a donation of $35 … Bruce Barnett of Markham, who received a Star Santa Claus Fund gift back in the ’40s, donates $125 in honour of the Jesse Ketchum students who attended the school in the 1950s … we have $105 from Toronto’s Daniel and Dionne Cude … Norma and Larry Bertuzzi of Burlington are back with $563… John Dickson from Newmarket with $100 in memory of “my late father John, my late uncle Norm, my recently deceased mother-in-law Florence and her late husband Ray.”

Wayne McMullen of Haliburton contributes $150 in memory of “Uncle Alfred, who took me to the Sunday doubleheaders at the Gardens” … Daryl Wells of Acton gives $105 … Anita Jennings of Toronto is back with $1,000 in memory of Candy, Molly and Rigby … Tim and Kim Van Wart of Mississauga with $350 in memory of “our special friend, Frank Orr” … also from Mississauga is Paul Stothers who remembers John Lasovich with a donation of $105 … Donna, John, Cameron, Hayley, Addilyn, Sophie, Andrew and Fraser Chapman from Whitby with $500 in memory of longtime contributors, Don and Marg Durno … Donna Cottle of Toronto returns with $105 in memory of Norma and Donald Fulton … also with $105 is Elaine Thomas of Gravenhurst … the Toronto Over 50’s Hockey League passed around the helmet once again and came up with a donation of $700 … Ian Henderson of Wasaga Beach gives $300 … Pat Ranney of Stratford gives $100.

Judith Rogers from Markham donates $200 in memory of Chris Rogers and Frank Liscombe … also from Markham is Eileen Johnson who gives $100 in memory of “Duke” Johnson … Sandra Higginson from Port Perry with $800 in memory of Jack Higginson … Paul Henderson from Embro gives $100 in memory of John Henderson … John and Tammy Desjardins from North York donate $50 … Barry Landon of Toronto with $200 in memory of Michael … and to end off the Corner this week, John Charalambous from Maple with $150 in memory of Joe Defrancesco and Ehsan Ali.

Many thanks to everyone for your generosity!

Correction: Dec. 30, 2022 — This story has been updated from a previously published version to fix the amount given by Leaside Baseball.

Nick Kypreos is a former NHL player, Stanley Cup champion and current host of Sportsnet’s Real Kyper and Bourne radio show. He is a freelance contributing columnist for the Star and is based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @RealKyper