Steve Kowalski, an elementary school teacher from Trenton, MI thought long and hard about completing one of his “Bucket List” events – the New York City Marathon. He said, “I spoke with a few friends who are endurance athletes back in Michigan, and they advised that an event like this is made better when you do it for a purpose.” After doing some research, Steve decided to connect with the Companions in Courage Foundation and support their efforts with his run.

He said, “Although runners often run solo, we never run alone. We are all connected. Runners are connected by the paths we trod, by the air we breathe and through the sunshine, rain and snow on our faces. Running is bigger than all of life combined. One of the main reasons to run is not only for ourselves, but to run for others. We run for our spouses, for our children, and for many others.” Continue reading »

NEW YORK — Hockey Hall of Famers Pat LaFontaine and Luc Robitaille will represent the NHL as guests of Pope Francis during a three-day global conference focusing on faith and sport at the Vatican from Oct. 5-7.

The inaugural Sport at the Service of Humanity conference will bring together 150 athletes and executives in an attempt to promote positive values and inspire youth.

Brazilian soccer legend Pele, professional tennis player Roger Federer and retired NBA players Yao Ming and Dikembe Mutombo also will attend. Continue reading »

HUNTINGTON, NY, September 29, 2016  –  Pat LaFontaine hosted his annual CiC Foundation Golf Classic at Huntington Country Club on Long Island and helped raise money and awareness for the organization that now serves 50,000 patients per year in hospitals throughout North America.

The date of the event was bumped up one week to accommodate LaFontaine’s invite to participate in a conference on Sports, Faith and Humanity at the Vatican on October 5-7. To commemorate that extraordinary event, a 3’ x 2’ photo of Pope Francis was ubiquitous throughout the Golf Classic. Continue reading »

·         By John Vogl  – Buffalo News, Sept. 7, 2016

Pat LaFontaine, Pele, Roger Federer and Yao Ming are sports icons capable of headlining any event they attend. Yet when they come together next month for a historic global conference, the most well-known participant will be a man who’s never scored a goal, won a Grand Slam or appeared in the Olympics.

The event leader will be Pope Francis, who can transfix a packed stadium with a simple wave of his hand.

The pope, however, is aware athletes also have legions of followers, so he has invited a select few to the Vatican for the first global conference on faith and sport. The three-day event, titled “Sport at the Service of Humanity,” will bring together 150 athletes and executives from different religions and countries to discuss how faith and sport can work together to promote positive values, inspire youth and better serve humanity. Continue reading »