The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/178977
"As much as I've heard people mock the idea of being a 'Michigan Man' there is an incredible culture there of teaching you to be a good person and realizing there is more to life than playing your sport. Red Berenson taught me that. The athletic department taught me that, and I've tried to carry that with me throughout the rest of my life." The Wolverine: Do you have a personal connection to the military? Ward: "It's a respect issue. I believe the two most undervalued occupations in our country are teachers and the military. Neither get paid what they deserve or seem to receive the respect they've earned. "One shapes the lives of our future and our youth, and the other performs a duty that I myself do not think I would have the intestinal fortitude to perform. And as a Canadian now American citizen, I am so appreciative for my freedom that these men and women dedicate their lives to protect. "Personally, when I was traded to Carolina, there are military installations all around you, and the Hurricanes did so many events. "I wanted to be a part of honoring our military. When I went to Boston, I bought tickets so that 300 service members could come to a game, and then when I returned to Carolina, there was a partnership with Volvo where we bought a suite for military members to attend. "I can say that the moment they stopped the game to recognize the servicemen and women there gave me an added boost down on the ice. I would look up and they inspired me." The Wolverine: What will your involvement with the program at Michigan be? Ward: "I'm taking care of the tickets, and then I've talked to the athletic department about my ideas. It could be military family whose mother or father is serving, and they just need a night to take their mind off everything. "Or it could be an active military veteran on leave. I live in North Carolina so most of the game by game they'll have to run, but I'm going to make it up to Ann Arbor, because I really want to be there sometime to see them honored." The Wolverine: What impact do you expect this to have on the current team? Ward: "I don't have contact with the current players, but I know when I went to school, I was aware of our history and always wanted to know what the guys that came before me were doing. "This is my 20th year since I left Michigan, and I've always been really involved. I've been a Victor's Club member, donated money to the Academic Center, have football tickets — but I had yet to have done something with the hockey program. I hope I can help inspire someone to make it to the NHL and to do something charitable on his own volition. I hope the guys there take a second to realize they mean a lot more to their community than just being a hockey player." — Michael Spath