Published18. November 2024, 11:23
Ice hockey: An NHL franchise makes the dream of a young Swiss come true
Thanks to the “shooting star” foundation, young Loris Schmid had the opportunity to meet the players of the Philadelphia Flyers, his favorite team.
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Ruben Steiger
Loris Schmid, dressed in his Philadelphia Flyers jersey, met the players of his favorite team.
Philadelphia Flyers
Loris Schmid will remember his Saturday evening all his life. This young Swiss indeed had the opportunity to fulfill his dream, namely traveling to the United States to attend a game of his favorite team, the Philadelphia Flyers. The child even had much more than that since he had the opportunity to meet his idols.
In a video posted on the NHL franchise’s social networks, the boy is taken to the center of the locker room by John Tortorella, the coach of the Pennsylvania team, to the applause of the players to announce the starting five. The complicity was beautiful to see, like this little smile and thumbs up given by the starting goalkeeper Ivan Fedotov when he heard his name.
The young fan, dressed in his orange jersey, also had a few minutes to chat with the players and take a few photos with them, as shown in a post on Philadelphia Flyers’ X.
If Loris was able to experience this immersion, it is thanks to the “shooting star” foundation. The latter, created in 1993, aims to offer moments of happiness and exceptional experiences to children or adolescents living with an illness or disability. In 31 years of existence, the foundation has enabled 3,915 young people to realize their dreams.
Saturday against Buffalo, the Flyers won their third consecutive success (5-2) in the NHL championship. The icing on the cake for Loris.
For this article, our first guest is Loris Schmid, the young Swiss fan who had the opportunity to meet his favorite team, the Philadelphia Flyers, thanks to the “shooting star” foundation. How did you feel when you were selected for this unique experience, and what was your reaction when you found out you were going to meet the players? Did you have any expectations about what it would be like, and how did the reality compare to your expectations?
Our second guest is a representative from the “shooting star” foundation. Can you tell us more about the organization and its mission? How does your organization select the children and teenagers who receive these special opportunities, and what kind of impact do you hope these experiences have on their lives?
For both guests, how do you think experiences like these can impact the lives of children facing illness or disability? Do you think there is room for more organizations like “shooting star” in the sports world, and if so, what kind of changes would you like to see?
