Fall 2004 - Trailcon

And the gold goes to ...private enterpriseThe 2004 Olympics were astark reminder of the federalgovernment’s shameless lack ofsupport for our dedicated athletes.But while the governmentsticks its proverbial head in thesand, corporations are steppingup to the plate and developingtheir own programs to assistour present and future athletes.Trailcon has been struck by thecontributions of at least two ofits customers. George Heller,President and CEO of TheHudson’s Bay Company,organizes a charitable golftournament that supports bothOlympic and CommonwealthGames athletes (see Trailcon’s“Report on Transportation,”Fall 2003).Michael Andlauer, CEO ofAndlauer TransportationServices Inc., sponsored threeathletes at this year’sOlympics, writing a poignantcommentary in the company’snewsletter about what theOlympics mean to him as aCanadian.When it comes to supportinglocal athletes, you might sayAndlauer has taken theBulldogs by the horn – he isalso Chairman of the Board andGovernor of the HamiltonBulldogs hockey team, an AHLaffiliate of The MontrealCanadiens. What makes theBulldogs unique is theirinvolvement in nurturing aspiringathletes in the community.For example, the team recentlylaunched Healthy HABits (as inthe “Habs”), a fundraising programin partnership with Weekof the Child, City of HamiltonCommunity Services, and theHamilton-Wentworth DistrictSchool Board that promoteshealthy living, physical activity,and nutrition within theschools.“On behalf of our Chairmanand Majority Owner MichaelAndlauer, the Bulldogs areproud and privileged to haveworked with such committedpartners to create a fundraisingand healthy living programwhich should have a long-lasting,positive impact on ourcommunity,” says BulldogsExecutive Director ofOperations Brian Lewis.As Duncan Milroy, the Bulldogs’feisty forward and HealthyHABits spokesperson puts it:“As a Hamilton Bulldogs playerwho concentrates on physicalfitness, I am extremely excitedabout this community programthat I know will help childrenand their schools in Hamiltonand the surrounding area.”Throughout the past season,Milroy and his teammatesvisited Hamilton-area schools,assisted with local minorhockey practices, participatedin the Bulldogs’ 2003 FoodDrive by loading food onto ATStrucks supplied for the occasion– the list goes on.The Bulldogs have started aYouth Fund/Foundation to promotethe creation of interactiveprograms involving education,physical fitness, and personalwell-being. The YouthFund uses the unique talentsand resources of the Bulldogsplayers, families, employees,and shareholders, as well asits NHL affiliate MontrealCanadiens, and local corporateand community partners toenrich the lives of children andyouth in the Greater Hamiltonarea.If the government is going toabdicate its responsibility toour young athletes, privateenterprise, led by visionarieslike George Heller and MichaelAndlauer, must step in to fillthe void.SUMMER 2004 - VOLUME NO. 3013