After immigrating to Canada from Pescosolido, Italy, in 1956, Sam Ciccolini set about carving out a life in his new country for his growing family. And when it came to being part of the fabric of his adopted homeland, what was more Canadian than hockey?
Over the last 50 years, Sam has become a pillar of his community. He has volunteered his time with more than 40 different groups, with a special interest on the ice. Starting with his involvement with the Woodbridge Minor Hockey Association, he helped build the Vaughan Kings AAA Hockey Association in the early 1990s, was involved in the creation of the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario in 1992 and earned a seat on the board of directors with the Ontario Hockey Association and Ontario Hockey Federation (receiving a life membership from the OHF in 2007). Sam has also been heavily involved with Hockey Canada; he has been involved with the insurance and risk management committees for close to 30 years, was part of the Olympic hockey delegation in 2006 and 2014 and chaired the volunteer committee for the 2015 and 2017 World Juniors.
That covers just a fraction of Sam’s volunteer exploits, so it is no surprise he has been provincially and nationally recognized many times over. He received the Order of Ontario in 1999, and was invested as a Member of the Order of Canada in 2006 and as a Commander of the Order of the Star of Solidarity by the Government of Italy in 2008, just to name a notable few. From humble beginnings in Pescosolido to the highest levels of Canada’s game, Sam embodies what hard work and selfless contributions to one’s community can achieve.
Congratulations & thank you for your dedication to the game Sam!
