The Hockey Diversity Alliance is mixing things up at its annual Toronto SummerFest this weekend by bringing in a football star — former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch — as a special guest.
Lynch, who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014, will take part in a celebrity ball hockey game and also run a football clinic during the HDA’s fourth festival on Saturday. This isn’t Lynch’s first involvement with the organization — he previously laced up for the alliance’s WinterFest, which was held when Toronto hosted the NHL All-Star Game two years ago.
HDA chairman Akim Aliu expressed enthusiasm about Lynch’s participation. “I’m really excited about him and the football aspect of it,” Aliu said. “Where we’re able to have success as an organization is tapping into the culture and personality aspects and using people’s audiences from different sports.”
The Hockey Diversity Alliance was established in 2020 by current and former NHL players of color with a mission to combat racism and intolerance in hockey. The organization works to make the sport accessible to minorities and underserved young people by providing free equipment, running clinics, and covering ice time costs.
Aliu said the HDA invests roughly $1.1 million each year into its grassroots efforts. The alliance has grown well beyond its Toronto roots, with programs now operating in Los Angeles, New York, Montreal, and Nova Scotia. Aliu added that Calgary, Alberta, is set to be added to that list next month.
SummerFest is the centerpiece of the HDA’s annual calendar, featuring live performances, carnival rides and attractions, and a fundraising gala in the evening.
Several well-known athletes are expected to attend, including Canadian Olympic sprinter Andre De Grasse, tennis star Bianca Andreescu, former Seattle Seahawks tight end Luke Wilson, and former Toronto Raptors player Serge Ibaka.
Aliu expects the daytime portion of the event to draw a full crowd of more than 4,000 people.
Aliu himself has a remarkable personal story. Born in Nigeria and raised in Ukraine, he discovered hockey after his family relocated to Toronto when he was 7 years old. In 2022, Scholastic and the publishing company of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick released a graphic novel about his life called “Akim Aliu Dreamer: Growing Up Black in the World of Hockey.”
“Why I’m so proud of our work is because it’s really for the most vulnerable that would never have access to the sport,” Aliu said. “Over 2,000 lives have been positively impacted by our work, and we’re just getting going.”
