JASON COLERO
Toronto Argonauts Manager, Community Relations
Jason Colero started as a water boy and now, 25 years later, he’s the heart and soul of Argos’ community outreach programs. The friendly and energetic Manager of Community Relations now educates youth through a myriad of programs he leads throughout the GTA.
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The Tom Pate Award is given out annually to one player as the CFLPA’s community service award. Tom Pate was a player in Hamilton whose life ended tragically at the age of 23 when he suffered a brain aneurysm during a game against the Stampeders. Pate was a player who demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship and was as devoted to his team as he was to the community.
Each year, players on each CFL team nominate a teammate that they feel embodies the characteristics of Tom Pate. Then a panel, assembled by the CFLPA, chooses one of the eight nominees to win the national award. Toronto Argonauts players have won league honours three times. Two of the three awards went to the community-face of the team, Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons (1993 & 1997). The other winner was Peter Mueller in 1978. This season’s Argonauts nominee was the Kissing Bandit, Adriano Belli – a man whose heart is as big as he is.
Belli established his Big Kiss Fund three years ago because he wanted to help make a difference for the kids at SickKids Hospital in Toronto. His latest act of kindness came last fall when he donated his last three game cheques to SickKids Foundation on behalf of his Big Kiss Fund. He was placed on the 9-game injured list earlier in the season and said he didn’t feel right taking the money if he wasn’t playing.
Along with fundraising, he also ensured the children were able to be a part of the Argonauts experience at games and in the hospital. To do this, he donated a suite to each home game and made regular visits to the hospital with toys and other players. The reason why an award like the Tom Pate becomes such an honour is because it’s a nomination by players’ peers, and it’s for something that most nominees would admit to being unnecessary. They’ll be the first to explain that the reward actually comes from the people the nominee has already affected; the kids in the hospital or the families at the soup kitchen or the kids being bullied.
I talk about this because in the fall I was nominated by my peers at the Argos Foundation to be inducted to my high school ‘Wall of Fame’ at Runnymede in Toronto.
Last October, I was inducted for my contributions to the community with the Huddle-Up Bullying Prevention program and Level the Playing Field. As I mentioned on the stage that day, my reward has already come in the form of an opportunity to speak to youth to try and help them get through difficult times, or being the bearer of good news in the form of a new high school football team.
To make the induction ceremony complete, I would have preferred to have all those who made the award possible on the stage with me. That would mean putting 10 years worth of football players, staff and hundreds of members from the public up there – and I’m not sure there would have been room.
I’m sure that I speak for men like Belli, Clemons and any other Tom Pate nominee, whose work has been focused on youth, when I say the true reward comes when young people benefit from our work through opportunity, self confidence, direction, growth, education and myriad other things.
I hope you can write me at jcolero@argonauts.ca to tell me your memories of a Tom Pate award nominee whose work helped you. Also, who would you nominate from your football team if you had a Tom Pate award to give out and why?
Make your passion your life.
Jason