Podein Tackles Ataxia
By Joe Siple

The year is 2001. Shjon Podein, of the Colorado Avalanche, skates down the ice, flying past defenders into the New Jersey zone. He passes the puck to a teammate, then gets it back and fires the one-timer past the goalie. A red light begins to spin and a horn sounds as teammates surround Podein, slapping his back and pounding his helmet in congratulations.

This happened fifteen times during the 2000-2001 NHL season, making it the best season of Podein’s career. To top it off, the Avs made a run to the Stanley Cup Finals and when the final buzzer declared the end of Game 7, Podein hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup high over his head and kissed it.

Shjon Podein was living every Minnesota boy’s dream that day. He was a professional hockey player making $1.25 million a year. He set career highs in goals and points and he was a world champion. With millions of fans watching from the arena and at home, who could have guessed that this moment—the ultimate in professional hockey—wasn’t even close to the biggest of Podein’s life? Most players live for that moment. But Shjon Podein is not most players.

June, 2005

"Third period, guys. We need it now."

Barefoot, Podein paces the first tee-box at the Rochester, MN Golf and Country Club, crying out in a hoarse voice. His dog, which he rescued from a humane society and calls "Little Buddy," uses the course as a playground. As a golfer tees up and steps back for a practice swing, "Little Buddy" sees the opening and grabs the ball from the tee, then sprints off into the woods. The golfer laughs along with Podein. This round isn’t about scores, it’s about the kids.

Hundreds of people flock to the Shjon Podein Children’s Foundation golf tournament because they see the passion in his eyes. Dozens of celebrities—NHL players, actors, musicians and more—show up every year or donate huge amounts of money because they know Podein. They know this isn’t just another publicity stunt. This event is for real. Shjon makes sure of it.

When a ten-year-old in a wheelchair soaks the hockey star with a squirt gun, Podein grabs another kid and uses him as a shield.

"Shoot me, shoot me!"

Podein laughs. The kids laugh until tears come to their eyes. Then they see someone filling water balloons and run to join the fun. It’s here—not on the ice—where Podein is truly a star.

Beginnings

The annual Shjon Podein Children’s Foundation golf tournament is a two-day event. On Sunday night, a local bar and grill hosts both silent and live auctions. Podein’s celebrity guests donate items to bid on, as do some local businesses. There is a concert, which invites plenty of kids on stage with the likes of G.B. Leighton and Brad Paisley. The following morning, everyone hits the golf course for 18 holes and a good time.

The tournament started in 1997 when Shjon and his wife Sherry started their Children’s Foundation. During that year, Podein returned to his hometown of Rochester, MN for a celebrity golf tournament. He and his wife had planned to play 18 holes and head home. They hadn’t counted on meeting two disabled kids named Brian and Jessica.

"I ended up on the dance floor with those two kids and my wife until one in the morning. We just danced the night away, man. Later that night, I was talking to my buddy and said, ‘You know what? I’m not doing enough. It’s time for me to start giving back.’"

Since that night, Podein has found a new path for his life. In the tournament’s nine years of existence, the event has raised $1.3 million for kids with ataxia—the disease afflicting young Brian and Jessica.

"If you can imagine your child at age two or three starting to stumble around, eight or nine in a wheelchair and passed away by age 18, that’s ataxia," Podein says. It’s an awful disease and something most people don’t know much about. We’re trying to raise awareness and raise moneys for these kids who have it."

Hockey "Pales In Comparison"

If you’re wondering what helping kids with ataxia means to Podein, consider this: when asked to compare the feeling of winning the Stanley Cup to holding his golf tournament, Podein says, "Winning the Stanley Cup was great. It’s something I’ll always remember, but it pales in comparison to when you can affect a child’s life or change a child’s life for the better."

It’s that attitude that earned Podein the 2001 King Clancy Memorial Trophy, given each year to the NHL player who exemplifies leadership and humanitarian contributions to the community in which he plays. Podein says he is more proud of winning the King Clancy than any other statistic or award in his career.

"It’s not that getting an award means you did any more or any less than what you’ve done. But like my ‘pops’ says, it’s always nice to get a pat on the back when you’re trying to do the right thing."

Doing the right thing is the philosophy Podein lives by. If he had any doubts about the way to go through life, two young children suffering from a debilitating disease made up his mind.

"Be grateful for what you have," Podein says. "And know that you can help those kids who didn’t get the same start in life that you got."

For Podein, the future is anything but carved in stone. He is seriously considering playing and coaching in Japan next season. But don’t think a departure to Japan will affect his Children’s Foundation golf tournament.

"I’ll probably hold this event for another fifty years, then I’ll get too old and we’ll have to have some young kid come in and run it."

Read more about the Shjon Podein Children’s Foundation at www.team25.com

Joe Siple is a freelance writer and can be reached at siplejoe@hotmail.com or on www.joesiple.com