Professional Sports Team Hires Homeless Artist After Receiving His Letter

When Jamie Hogaboam contacted the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL), he was just looking to raise money for a local art studio that helps people deal with mental illness. He decided to write the organization a letter about mental health and his own struggles.

“He wrote me a passionate and articulate letter on the subject of mental health. He referred to his own struggles, but more so the struggles of others,” Jets co-owner Mark Chipman told NHL.com. “He’s always thinking about other people, which is what drew me to him.”

The Jets had been supporting the studio for the last three years, so they already had a rough understanding of what was going on. But after receiving Hogaboam's letter: The Jets decided to take it one step further, they hired the talented artist for a special project, to paint portraits of the inaugural Winnipeg Hall of Fame class.  

This wasn't just a token gesture by the Jets, Hogaboam is actually a very talented artist. They knew they had the right guy for the job after he was done with his first portrait, of Jets' legend Dale Hawerchuk.

Read the full story on Shared.com

Photo: Shared.com


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