For the Clayton family, hockey has always been more than a game. It was where Larry Clayton spent countless hours coaching his sons and their teammates, and where many of their strongest family memories were made. After Larry died in 2010, his wife Diane and sons Chris and Tom wanted to honour both his love of the sport and his deep commitment to young people. The result is the Larry Clayton Endowment Fund, held at the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area, which supports minor hockey and helps more children get on the ice.

The fund did not appear overnight. The family first tried directing their giving through another charity but found that the demands of fundraising and administration did not fit their busy lives. “We thought it would be better to put the money toward a structured organization that had people in place to run it and look after its day to day,” Diane explains. The Community Foundation offered that structure and, just as importantly, a way to connect their fund with programs that match their goals.

Hockey was the obvious focus. Chris and Tom both played at a high level, and Larry coached Kingston minor hockey for several years when they were younger. The family knows how expensive the sport can be, from equipment to registration fees. “We wanted to donate to minor hockey because the cost to sign up and play is very high,” Tom says. Recently, with help from Foundation staff, grants from the fund have supported the Grassroots Hockey Project, helping local kids access the sport their dad loved so much.

Philanthropy reflects the way Larry lived. He spent more than thirty years working in banking and financial services, was well known in the community, and volunteered through programs like Junior Achievement. “He was very involved in the community through his work,” Diane recalls. For his sons, giving back in his name feels natural. “Dad did very well in his career and put us in a position to give back,” Tom says. “We wanted to honour his name, and this fund lets us keep helping kids, just like he always did.”

To support kids in financial need to play hockey, donate to the Larry Clayton Endowment Fund.