“Where have you been?” “Why haven’t you posted anything in a while?” “Are you going back to India?”
All good questions.
Questions that are going to be answered as directly as possible, but with backstory.
I’ve been back in New York since June 2009. I spent a few months getting my life back in order, which included moving to Brooklyn (from Long Island) and taking a job at Eastern Mountain Sports, a company I had wanted to work for before I worked for the Islanders, and would allow me to outfit myself better, with better know-how, for future endeavors.
That job was supposed to be part time, to allow 100% dedication to The Hockey Foundation, but catching up on finances after 5 months out of the country was more difficult than originally anticipated, and that job turned into 40 hours and a supervisory position (manage the “gadgets & sunglasses” department, which I am very enthusiastic about).
At the same time, I was in discussions with an “organization” that seemed to be creating a TV program that would have similar characteristics to what The Hockey Foundation has been founded to do, and would allow me to provide my digital marketing expertise while also promoting and funding The Hockey Foundation. The guys who run the “organization” are nowhere to be heard from, after making big promises and taking on a prominent sponsorship. I kept pushing my schedule back, because I trusted them and truly believed in the concept. It seemed like the perfect storm to continue making a difference for hockey players in India and ultimately around the world, earn a living, and be responsible for a full-scale digital marketing campaign with the backlog of ideas that I have.
Well, that’s apparently not happening.
If you followed my adventures in India, you’d know that my laptop broke while I was there. With all the catching up on finances, getting a new computer was just below eating food and paying for transportation on my priority list. Less than a month ago, I finally got something to hopefully last a few years, and keep me working before jumping on an aging PC, that I use primarily through Ubuntu, and is situated on a low-lying coffee table in front of my futon-bed. Try doing any work on that when you get home near midnight and have work the next day.
To add insult to injury, the IRS had been planning to release Cyber Assistant, an online assisted 501(c)(3) application, that not only would streamline the application process, it is supposed to be significantly cheaper.
A quick Google search will show you that the IRS recently announced another delay to Cyber Assistant. This means that the application fee will be higher, the risk for mistakes will be higher, and the process will take longer.
These are not excuses. Just reasons. And now that some of the situations have been resolved/addressed, I’m pushing forward. I’m tired of waiting. Waiting for people to fulfill promises they made, or for the IRS to release a better application process.
These things have weighed on me for many months. As I waited on them to resolve on their own, I sat idly, not posting too much on the website so as to not make promises that I can’t keep. I still have an open-ended promise to deliver equipment to a women’s hockey team in Ukraine that has been unfulfilled to date because the Europe trip I expected from this “organization” in May never happened.
It will. On my terms. On your terms. On our partnership.
India is very much still the focus of The Hockey Foundation.
There is a lot of work to be done in Ladakh, Kargil, Shimla, Dehra Dun, Delhi and around the country. So much has happened, much of it good, but there is still a lot of improvement that needs to happen within India to make this program succeed for them. Ultimately, my goal and desire is to share happiness through a game that has provided me with more than I could ever have expected. But there’s still so much to do, and I plan to discuss that with you…soon.
Expect another post within the next 5 days or so, that will specifically address the plans for ice hockey development in India and how The Hockey Foundation needs your help.
Needless to say, funding is essential. A lot of kind-hearted souls have donated their hockey equipment to be given to hockey players that don’t have the opportunities they do. It takes a lot of money to move hockey equipment around the world. Please help in making this a reality.
I feel relieved sharing this with you. I hope it helps explain where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing and what my plans are. The adventure has only just begun, so I hope you are willing to go on it with me!
Best wishes,
Adam