Hasek's Heroes' Mission
In 2001, one of the greatest sports heroes of Buffalo, Dominik Hasek, made a lasting impact on our community. With a deep passion for the game of hockey and a desire to make a difference in the lives of young people, he founded Hasek’s Heroes. His mission was simple: to create opportunities that transform lives through the sport of hockey.
Hasek’s Heroes provides children in Western New York youth with meaningful opportunities for athletic, academic, and character development through a hockey-centered program that is completely free of cost to participating families. By offering access to equipment, ice time, and coaching, we give kids the tools they need to develop both on and off the ice. Beyond hockey skills, our program fosters personal growth, teamwork, resilience, and leadership – qualities that build strong futures for young people.
We are committed to offering children a foundation that supports not only their physical development, but also their success in school, leadership growth, and personal confidence. We strive to create a safe, caring, and structured environment where young people can thrive both on & off the ice and have fun.
In December 2004, Hasek’s Heroes took over the operation of the Riverside Park’s Reuben “Bud” Bakewell Ice Rink. Thanks to the continued dedication of local leaders, board members, and supporters, Hasek’s Heroes has grown significantly over the years. In 2011, we expanded by partnering with the Buffalo Sabres Foundation to bring the program to South Buffalo through the Cazenovia Timothy J. Burvid Ice Rink.
Today, Hasek’s Heroes has reached thousands of kids, providing them with free access to ice-skating and hockey. What started as a small, community-driven effort is now the second-largest program of its kind across all NHL cities, impacting youth who may have never had access to such opportunities before.
The heart of our mission is to use hockey as a vehicle for change. By giving children the chance to learn, play, and grow, Hasek’s Heroes helps them realize their full potential, both on the ice and in life. We are committed to creating a positive, supportive environment where kids can build confidence, develop life skills, and, most importantly, have fun.
We are proud to continue to tell our story and expand our efforts, we remain focused on ensuring that Hasek's Heroes is a sustainable and impactful organization for years to come. We are committed to providing life-changing opportunities for the kids and families we serve and creating a legacy of growth, development, and community engagement
We are very thankful for our Partnerships with King Center Charter School and Catholic Academy of West Buffalo. We provide organized Learn To Skate sessions with them!
Ellen Sullivan-Garcia
Director of Development CAWB --
"Catholic Academy of West Buffalo has had the privilege to partner with Hasek’s Heroes Learn to Skate and Learn to Play Hockey programs since 2023. It has been a partnership like no other. What started out as a family social on a cold night in January, blossomed into programming that we could only dream of. Our school is the most diverse Catholic school in the diocese of Buffalo. 60% of our student’s main language is not English and over 83% of our students’ receive some type of financial aid. We strive to give our student’s access to programs that they would never be able to afford as an outside activity or one they have no experience
in. Personally, I never thought ice skating would be popular among our student’s. I was proven very wrong! After the family social, which had the highest attendance of any family gathering, students and families fell in love with ice skating. At least 80% of the kid’s had never skated before but took the ups and downs in stride.
The Hasek’s Heroes volunteers where amazing and since that night, a true partnership was born. They came to our summer camp and picked up student’s 3x’s a week to skate at the rink…transportation and fees all covered. We started an after school skating program in the Fall 2023 which we had over 50 children sign-up, also a school record. No cost for transportation, skates or rink fees, is asked of the school or any of the families.
We have done the Learn to Skate program 3 times and it is filled within days, with children in Kindergarten through 8 th grades. Every time I see a skating club member, they ask me
“how soon will we do it again…I love skating…I now play hockey and love that too” ! I honestly cannot imagine not having the Hasek’s Heroes Learn to Skate program in our school.
Our students have tackled fears, braved the cold, experienced the joy of skating across the rink and spending time with their friends. The lessons in teamwork, listening skills, not giving up, have been immeasurable. This population would never have had this experience without the generosity and commitment of Hasek’s Heroes.
Coach Joe LoTempio is a pleasure to work with and the student’s love him. The team of volunteers he assembles is competent, caring and more than patient. I cannot speak highly enough of this organization. I come from a long line of skaters myself but never really liked the sport. I definitely have a new appreciation of all it can offer in the life of a growing child. The lessons learned are very different than in the classroom but just as important. The Hasek’s Heroes Board members I have dealt with are supportive, energetic and very compassionate in the needs of disadvantaged children. A stellar organization that Buffalo can be proud of!"
-- Ellen Sullivan-Garcia
Director of Development CAWB