2004

History 2004 – 2005

H.E.R.O.S. introduces a second new component, the H.E.R.O.S. Mentorship Program.
Five more girls are welcomed into the system, expanding the diversity of the program.
The H.E.R.O.S. Mentorship Program invites children 14 years or older, some of whom had already been through the H.E.R.O.S. Program, to return as volunteer mentors. These students help with weekly sessions, on and off the ice, as they work through a seven-step certification process towards a H.E.R.O.S. mentorship diploma.
A monthly H.E.R.O.S. Guest Speaker Series is added to the H.E.R.O.S. program, and a partnership with the Vancouver Police Department and its Drug Awareness Program is formed.
Frontier College offers to help with tutoring services for H.E.R.O.S. participants and mentors. Group homework clubs are established.
In H.E.R.O.S. fifth year of operation, the program asks for and receives more equipment from the NHLPA Goals & Dreams Fund to outfit the increasing number of new participants and its fast growing teens.
H.E.R.O.S. administrative duties are lightened through a partnership with the Urban Native Youth Association (UNYA), which provides H.E.R.O.S. with temporary staff.
H.E.R.O.S. sends another child to the NHL Diversity Willie O’Ree All-Star Weekend in Anaheim, California. More H.E.R.O.S. players wishing to move on to minor hockey leagues are supported with equipment and registration fees.

H.E.R.O.S. begins expanding across Canada, and the Board aggressively pursues new funding. Scouting begins for head coaches, volunteers, ice time, and local school board participation in Toronto and Calgary.
On October 28, 2005, the Toronto H.E.R.O.S. Program is officially launched. NHLPA representatives Mike Gartner (NHL Hall of Fame member) and Steve Larimer (member of the 1994 Stanley Cup-winning New York Rangers) are on hand for the celebration. Steve Podborski (World Cup downhill sensation and TELUS VP Sports Marketing) presents a three-year funding commitment from TELUS for $305,000.
The first H.E.R.O.S. franchise marks its inaugural year of operation at Moss Park Arena in Toronto's Regent Park district. Thirty boys and girls take part, many of whom are from countries as far away as Sudan, Ethiopia and the Dominican Republic.
The "Posivication" Program – developed by H.E.R.O.S. – is a unique concept to encourage positive behavior in participants. Written positive reinforcement is introduced as a new in-school behavior program and officially recognized by the Vancouver School Board.