BOSTON — With a Stanley Cup recently hoisted over his head and Vezina and Conn Smythe trophies added to his mantel, Tim Thomas has never been more popular in the Boston area.
And Thomas is hoping to cash in on that popularity. Not for himself mind you. Thomas is plenty comfortable with the four-year deal he signed back in 2009. Instead, on Wednesday the Bruins netminder set about trying to help those less fortunate with the creation of the Tim Thomas Foundation.
"Basically the mission of the foundation is to support the underdog," Thomas said at a news conference at the Garden on Wednesday afternoon. "At times in this life, people face adversity, whether it's a natural disaster or something else that crops up in life, and I'd like to help people overcome this adversity just as others have helped me along the way."
The foundation will raise money to support food banks, education programs and disaster relief efforts. Thomas has a personal connection to food banks, having worked in one run by his father when Thomas was in high school in Flint, Mich.
"Having worked the food banks in Flint, I've seen rough times," Thomas said. "In today's economy, there are some rough times out there right now. I understand that people need support at the most basic levels of life. A lot of people, myself included, are fortunate that we don't have to think about where our food is going to come from on a day-to-day basis. We just take it for granted, but there's a huge portion of the population out there [for which] that is not the case."
The Thomas Foundation's first initiative, however, will go toward raising money for local communities in Massachusetts and Vermont affected by Hurricane Irene, which hit the region late last month.
"I went to college in Vermont," said Thomas, who noted the hurricane struck just five days before he had his day with the Cup in Vermont. "It's become a second home to me, just as Massachusetts has, and I think this is a perfect opportunity to help some people that were affected by something out of their control."
To raise money, the Thomas Foundation is holding an online raffle, with the winner receiving four tickets to see the Bruins raise their championship banner on opening night. The winner and three guests will watch the Bruins take on Philadelphia on Oct. 6 alongside Bruins legend Ray Bourque from Bourque's suite at the Garden, followed by chance to meet with Thomas after the game and try on his Stanley Cup championship ring. The winner and three guests will also each receive an autographed photo of Thomas holding the Cup.
Raffles entries can be purchased on-line at www.netraffle.org at a cost of $2 per ticket with a minimum purchase of five tickets. The prize drawing will be held on Oct. 5.
"It's definitely something I felt called to do," Thomas said of forming the foundation. "I'm in a unique position where hopefully I can raise quite a bit of money that will end up helping quite a few people. It's an honor to be in that position.
"I've been thinking about doing this for a while," Thomas added, "but things came together with the success that I had and the hurricane coming through Massachusetts and Vermont and wanting to help the people affected by that, and also the economic times. There are people in need, and if you're in a position to help them, I think I have to at least try to do as much as I can."
