Courage Canada Hockey for the Blind
On June 27, 2009 a then 22 year old Toronto Ice Owls Blind Hockey player named Mark DeMontis departed on the “Courage Canada Quest for the West” inline skate campaign, and rollerbladed over 5,000 km’s across five provinces to raise funds in support of Blind Hockey programming for children and youth who are blind or partially sighted. With the funds raised from that campaign Mark was able to put on the organization’s first learn to skate and play Blind Hockey field trips and support the Canadian Blind Hockey teams in their effort to lay the framework for the first national tournament. Mark served as the volunteer President of Courage Canada from 2009 to 2016 as the association achieved many milestones and grew into the national sports organization for Blind Hockey. The name “Courage Canada” was deeply connected to Mark’s personal journey and the original fundraiser campaign and was retired when he departed the board in 2016 when the organization was renamed Canadian Blind Hockey. Mark remains an active member of the Blind Hockey community and is a member of the Canadian National Blind Hockey Team.