The Henrique Montour Foundation, founded by NHL stars Adam Henrique and Brandon Montour in 2021, has had a mandate to help young athletes while promoting well-being amongst youth in the community by donating to and supporting various organizations, initiatives, and programs.
Lisa Henrique, who is Adam Henrique’s sister-in-law and a board member of the foundation, discussed its roots.
“Adam and Brandon always knew each other from being in the hockey circuit while they were growing up in the local area. But it wasn’t really until Adam got traded to Anaheim that both of them got closer. Brandon was already with the Ducks, and it was great because he was able to give Adam the lay of the land there. As their friendship grew, they started to talk about a shared interest of giving back to the community and doing something back home where they’re from, which is Six Nations, Burford, Brantford, and Brant County,” explained Henrique. “Then one summer, during one of their workouts, they decided to make their vision a reality…and together they created the Henrique Montour Foundation. Adam then asked me if I would be interested in being on this board as they developed the foundation…which I of course, agreed. We also have Brandon’s mom, Tammy as a board member and Brandon Painter, who knows Adam and Brandon well, and is a life-long friend of Brandon’s.”
Every year, the foundation holds its annual Henrique Montour Golf Classic, which has raised well over half a million dollars since 2020.
“We hold one event a year which is our annual Henrique Montour Golf Classic where all the funds that we raise are donated back specifically to community organizations around athletics focused on kids as well as active living initiatives. We really want to focus on youth in our community. We want to be able to provide them with just the necessary tools that live and be active, and kind of have the same kind of opportunities that both Adam and Brandon had,” she said.
During its first year, the foundation teamed up with the Arnold Anderson Sports Fund, a local charity with similar ideals in helping kids.
“They hosted our first tournament with all our proceeds going to the Arnold Anderson Sports Fund. That was great for us, because they showed us the ins and outs of organizing a successful golf tournament. And then from there, we moved to MontHill Golf and Country Club in Caledonia, just because it allowed us to have more golfers. Brandan Painter, who is the Director of Golf Operations for MontHill…coordinates a lot of tournaments there, so he has helped us a lot over the years,” Henrique remarked. “We have a lot of people in the community that have really supported us throughout the years. We have some organizations that have sponsored the event every single year since we started. And more and more people are finding out about what we’re doing, so they reach out wanting to be part of it too.”
Nevertheless, with both Adam Henrique and Brandon Montour playing in the NHL, there is also an added level of community pride.
“The last two years have been very exciting…especially last year, when Adam and Brandon were both in the Stanley Cup finals. After Brandon’s team won the cup, and shortly after our tournament, he brought the Stanley Cup to Six Nations at Ohsweken, and that in itself, is a once in a lifetime opportunity. And it’s so neat to see the excitement of the community as well as with both families being involved,” she reflected. “Adam has now been in the Cup final for the last two years…so, again, it’s just like seeing that excitement [and] seeing the people in our community coming out to support them, and the golf tournament. It means the world to them and their families, as the community is so important in their lives.”
For Henrique, it has been inspiring to see how the donations being given to different programs is helping various organizations in the community.
“It’s amazing to just see what we are able to provide. For example, my family and I are involved with our local Burford Minor Hockey Association. And in the last two years, the foundation donated $10,000 to that organization…if it wasn’t for those donations, they would still be operating in a deficit. We’ve also donated ten of thousands of dollars to local schools for their playgrounds including the Burford Elementary playground and Oakland-Scotland playground,” said Henrique. “We donated to the Burford Skate Park and a skate park in public schools in Six Nations. We’ve donated rugs, and outdoor toys to kindergarten. So, a lot of the stuff that we do, people may not know about, but is having a positive impact on the community.”
Along with the ever-popular annual golf tournament, Henrique and the foundation are always reviewing donation requests, as well as various initiatives to be a part of.
“We’re always looking for initiatives and groups that we can donate to. We have some groups in Burford that want to update some infrastructure at the park, so we’re working with them. We’re watching the hospital expansion and seeing how we can get involved there. We’re hoping to team up with Brantford Bulldogs and their foundation. We’re supporting teams out in Six Nations in sports like lacrosse and ball hockey,” Henrique explained. “Also, we know firsthand when it comes to athletic programs and organizations, they are sometimes difficult to operate and things like upgrades or equipment are needed…and we are here to help. Although, we are always on the lookout for initiatives we can be a part of….we want people to reach out to us too.”
However, Henrique has come to truly appreciate the giving nature of the community.
“It’s great to see the number of people who are just so supportive and so generous in our community. I get people who call me and want to be involved in the tournament, and the people who want to donate to our foundation. On the flip side, people that are just so grateful when we donate [and] it’s such a wonderful thing to see…neighbors helping neighbors, friends helping friends, and families helping families…it’s nice to be a part of that, and especially for me, because I get to see the things that we do in the community,” she reflected. “We bought Burford dancers’ new tumbling mats last year. That dance organization has over 300 dancers from the area…family, friends, and their kids are using those mats. It’s just that everything we do is a full-circle moment. We have people that constantly ask us if they can help at the golf tournament, if we need anything, and it’s just a wonderful collaborative relationship that we’ve built with our community.”
After five years, the foundation looks to continue expanding in order to fundraise more money involving more events to augment the Golf Classic.
“I would love to see our foundation grow and be a long-standing one within the community. It’d be great to hold multiple events. The golf tournament is fantastic, but it doesn’t include every demographic, like children, who can’t participate in it. There’s only a small portion that can actually golf. So, in saying that it’d be great to do other community events where we can allow more participation and get more people to come out of different ages,” she maintained. “As we grow, we want to build a legacy for Adam and Brandon in their community, and host some events that can become long-running ones within our foundation and provide more opportunities to raise funds and support our community.”
