The VPD’s Floor Hockey for Kids program recently got a boost from the biggest hockey team around – the Vancouver Canucks! After learning about the program earlier this year, the Canucks and the Canucks for Kids Fund were moved to support the program which will allow Floor Hockey for Kids to reach even more kids and teens in Vancouver.
Started in 2021 by Sergeant Terry Parmar, the Floor Hockey for Kids program has been operating out of Hastings Community Centre as a free after-school program for kids and teens for the past three years. Terry’s goal has always been to expand the program to both Strathcona Community Centre and RayCam Community Centre, and with this support from the Canucks now in place, Terry can make this a reality.
“I created Floor Hockey for Kids to give children an opportunity they may never be afforded,” explains Terry. “Thanks to the VPF, we are able to connect deserving kids with a fun and active opportunity in their community. I’m so grateful to the Canucks organization for believing in what I’ve created and for supporting this program!”
As new partners of Floor Hockey for Kids, the Canucks are donating several sets of Hockeyball sticks and balls, plus a generous $7,500 grant from the Canucks for Kids Fund to help with the cost of expanding the program to new locations.
“Anytime there is an opportunity to grow the game of hockey and support youth here in BC, we do everything we can to help,” says Alex Oxenham, Executive Director of the Canucks for Kids Fund. “Sergeant Parmar is doing incredible things for kids across Vancouver, so we are thrilled to support him and the floor hockey program he created.”
Earlier this month, Canucks Mascot Fin and Canucks Alumni Kirk McLean visited Strathcona Community Centre along with Terry and many of his VPD colleagues including Constable Freddy Lau, Detective Constable Randy Lee, and Constable Meghan Agosta – who also happens to be a three-time gold medalist with the Canadian women’s national ice hockey team. Constables from the Vancouver Aboriginal Community Policing Centre and the Strathcona Community Police Centre were also on-hand. With a freshly donated set of equipment from the Canucks, this group spent the afternoon playing floor hockey alongside the youth from the community centre.
The Floor Hockey for Kids program has a special back-story, and it entirely centres around Terry wanting to give back to the community who gave so much to him when he was young. You see, Terry grew up in East Vancouver and regularly participated in youth programs, including drop-in floor hockey, at Hastings Community Centre. His family was similar to many in that neighbourhood – it was difficult to afford access to organized league sports like ice hockey, so instead they took advantage of the youth programs at the local community centre.
It wasn’t long before Terry advanced from being a regular participant to becoming a youth volunteer. This eventually grew into employment at Hastings Community Centre. When Terry joined the VPD a few years later, he never forgot where he came from. He started VPD Floor Hockey for Kids at Hastings Community Centre to continue to support the vulnerable kids in his neighbourhood.
“Some families have the means to enroll their kids in ice hockey, but many cannot,” explains Terry. “I started this program to help integrate low income and first-generation Canadians into an activity that is a huge part of the local, Canadian experience. It creates a feeling of inclusivity around having access to learning the game of hockey.”
“This program is a way for me to give back to the community that supported me when I was young.”
Not only do the kids and teens learn hockey skills, but they also gain important life-skills and build positive and valuable relationships with their peers and adult mentors. Many regular floor hockey program volunteers are VPD Special Constables and VPD Patrol officers who also visit the program from time to time to engage with the kids in an open and encouraging environment. In addition to floor hockey, all participants also receive a free healthy meal.
“I am going to continue to work hard to give these kids what they need and to ensure they have more opportunities than I did when I was a kid growing up in that same neighbourhood. I also hope to inspire these kids to want to give back to their community when they grow up.”
Terry is not only committed to providing the support to the next generation that he once received, but he is also extremely grateful to the donors like the Vancouver Police Foundation and now the Vancouver Canucks who make it all possible.
The Vancouver Police Foundation supports programs and initiatives that fall within three streams: community outreach and engagement (including programs for women, youth and seniors); public and personal safety; and specialized equipment and technology. You can help make Vancouver safer for all by donating to the Vancouver Police Foundation.
