Mark & Lauren Giordano

As fine a hockey player as Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano is, the efforts by him and his wife Lauren on the charitable front continue to gain as much respect, if not more.

Teamgio each year helps 4,000 kids in Calgary schools with book donations, funds and talks regarding leadership, character and life skills that will serve young people in their growth.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, that initiative has largely been through video messaging. But there have been a multitude of ways for the generous couple to aid those in need.

“They joined a few of the Facebook groups,” said Candice Goudie, executive director of the Calgary Flames Foundation. No one knows the Giordanos' undertakings over the years better.

“They were delivering donations, computers, contributions, they were joining the birthday parades. Mark did a great deal of videos and personal messages for birthdays and graduations to cheer people up ... numerous videos per day when we were in the thick of it.

“They were trying to do the best they could to try to alleviate the toll and financial anguish from people in our city.”

Mark, who in 2017 was honoured with the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award by ESPN, in 2020 accepted the Mark Messier Award, given to an NHL player “who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team on and off the ice.”

There's a reason Goudie, and not Mark and Lauren, will speak about their philanthropy.

“They don't necessarily like to talk about it, which is the kind of people they are,” said Goudie, who has worked with countless Flames players in volunteer capacities. “We're so lucky in the generosity of the players we get to work with but, yes, Mark and Lauren are definitely leaders.

“They do a lot that people don't know about. They're extremely generous. It's just the way they treat people. They're extremely humble and extremely kind.”