Community Moment | Thomas Casey giving back to his hometown
Thomas Casey was born and raised on Prince Edward Island. So, when he was drafted by his hometown Charlottetown Islanders in 2016, it was a dream come true.
Since then, giving back to the community has become a second nature to the 20-year-old forward.
“I think P.E.I. is such a unique place. It’s like one big family and the organisation wants to reflect that sense of pride and family”, says Casey. “Everyone on the team is so down to earth, which in turn translates to the community.”
Casey and his teammates are involved in their community in many ways.
“This year, we’ve given out tickets [to Islanders games] in local Tim Hortons restaurants, free coffee and things like that. We’ve done presentations to fight bullying in schools, we’ve given toys to children in need, and we’ve given blood.”
Giving back quickly became a popular team activity for the Islanders players and staff.
“As a group, we also did a food drive for the local people in need because of Covid. We all enjoyed doing it and it was a lot of fun”, explains the left winger.
“Winning games is obviously nice, but one thing I’ve noticed since I was drafted is that this organisation wants to win off the ice as well. [They want us to] go that extra mile for people not so fortunate.”
As if the various initiatives Thomas Casey has used to give back to the people of Charlottetown were not enough, he also became an ambassador for Hockey Gives Blood.
“We promote stem cell awareness and explain to people that donating blood can save lives”, says the veteran forward. “Saving a life is the greatest win of all!”
“It’s amazing to see how much support the Charlottetown clinic gets from people from all across the island. Because the province is so small, it’s great to see how everybody contributes.”
While encouraging others for donations is one thing, taking place is the donor’s chair is another. For Casey, his first donation was a memorable one.
“I was a little nervous, but it only took five minutes”, says the forward who admits he wasn’t all that afraid of needles. “Once you get registered, you sit down and it’s really quick. It’s a really easy process.”
Giving back comes naturally to Casey, who is grateful to all hockey fans across the province for their support over the years.
“I have been fortunate to grow up here. Everyone supports us and we just love giving back. We wouldn’t be able to play hockey without our fans”, mentions the Islanders’ assistant captain.
“Everyone is so nice to each other on the island. That’s what makes it such a tight knight place and that’s why all the guys love playing here.”
While he grew up on the island, Casey says he learned the true importance of being involved in his community when he played midget hockey over in Regina, Saskatchewan. He knows first-hand the influence hockey players can have on kids.
“We used to go to schools in our area and read to kids. Being with all those young kids was a lot of fun”, he remembers. “The smiles on their faces always made my day. It really warms your heart and we all loved doing it.”
“You never know what kind of background the [kids] have. You don’t even know if they’ve eaten in the morning and that kind of thing”, he adds about the importance of making them feel special.
To this day, Casey still loves to meet kids in schools.
“I did presentations on bullying in two schools last year. Even as adults, we still face [bullying] online”, mentioned the winger on the importance of having those discussions early on.
Growing up on the island and going to [P.E.I.] Rocket games has allowed Thomas Casey to not only witness what it took to get to the QMJHL, but also what it took to have a positive impact on people away from the rink.
