Growing up in Latin America, Luis Canepari did not grow up with much interest in hockey. He came to Vancouver and his son formed a passion for the game. It was during this time that Luis started to think about the money that it costs to play hockey and the barriers that exist for some in the community to play. Luis met Norm Flynn through a business colleague at DLA Piper and he was immediately interested – he could see the deep impact a program like HEROS has on youth in his own community.
Luis’s employer Goldcorp has always had a strong corporate giving program. Prior to Luis suggesting HEROS, Goldcorp had not focused on sports related organizations. “Goldcorp has traditionally been very active in initiatives around education, health, community development and arts so I pitched it internally and helped raise some money and that’s how Goldcorp got involved.”
Over the past five years, the company has granted over $40 million dollars to various charities and community causes in Vancouver. “Since the company was founded, giving back has been part of our DNA. We believe communities should be better off because of our presence there. We can and do create long term social and economic value by identifying opportunities for collaboration and building meaningful relationships in the communities where we work. Through contributions to our community partners, we put Goldcorp’s values into action and we are proud to support HEROS,” said Christine Marks, Goldcorp’s Director, Corporate Communications.
Goldcorp is entering their second year as a Home Ice Partner for the Vancouver HEROS Chapter but their involvement extends beyond financial donations. Luis credits Goldcorp’s open approach to contributing to the community that allowed him to pursue these types of initiatives. “We helped organize the Christmas party in Vancouver and we try to participate in the quarterly events. We have also brought in two kids from HEROS for six-month internships and we taught them how to repair computers and run systems. We also donate spare equipment to HEROS when we can.” This included providing a used laptop to a HEROS participant attending college for the first time.
“I just feel sometimes it’s possible to lose perspective on what’s important. We get very focused on our work and other things, but we all have a responsibility to be good neighbours and corporate citizens. It’s great to do something different for a change and feel you’re doing something worthwhile for the community,” continued Luis. Meeting the HEROS participants and their families at events throughout the last year made an impression on Luis and the difference they were making hit home. “They’re so thankful and appreciative of even the smallest contributions and support. Everything helps.”
Luis is a firm believer in the transformative powers that sport can have on youth in the community and has encouraged others, like his colleagues at KMPG to get involved. Read more about KPMG and Goldcorp’s support in our MarchAlong the Boards issue.
We are very thankful to have such a dedicated and active sponsor like Goldcorp as part of the HEROS family.
“Companies, like Goldcorp, enable HEROS to deliver educating, engaging and inspiring programs for boys and girls while providing opportunities – making families and communities stronger.” – Norm Flynn, President HEROS Hockey