Rasmus Dahlin remembers the toll of hospital stays and the impact a simple distraction like a visit to a hockey game can have on a child in need.
Dahlin’s older brother, Felix, and younger sister, Ella, both grew up with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that affects the joints. The condition required frequent hospitalizations for both siblings.
Invites to Swedish Hockey League games and locker-room visits were a reprieve for the Dahlin family during that time.
“My brother and my sister have been in hospitals for many, many days throughout their lives, so I know how much a small interaction can mean,” Dahlin said.
The Sabres captain and his longtime significant other, Carolina Matovac, aim to make a similar impact with the launch of the Rasmus Dahlin Foundation, which will exist to improve the lives of children with various needs in Western New York.
The foundation’s support will place special emphasis on two charitable organizations in Western New York each season, beginning this year with the Courage of Carly Fund at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and GiGi’s Playhouse of Buffalo.
“Kids have to be kids even if they’re in the hospital or have a disability,” Dahlin said. “We’re here to do whatever we can to give them fun experiences and hopefully make their day.”
Dahlin and Matovac met in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2015. Dahlin was drafted first-overall by the Sabres in 2018 and Matovac joined him in Buffalo in 2021. The ensuing years were spent getting used to a new home and a new language, but as time passed and their comfort grew, both Dahlin and Matovac made it a point to be involved in the community.
Matovac has volunteered at Courage of Carly events and makes monthly visits to GiGi’s Playhouse, which exists to empower individuals with Down syndrome and their families. She has spent the past three years in meetings with members of the Sabres’ community relations department and leaders of local charities to make her and Dahlin’s dream of starting a foundation a reality.
“I think it’s just always been an obvious thing for us,” Matovac said. “We both love helping people, we’re both family people, and we care about the people around us. Buffalo has given so much to us, and we’re blessed to be in the position where we can give back and try and make an impact.”
The interactions and relationships formed through their charitable endeavors have had a life-changing effect on the couple, too. They maintain a close relationship with Sophia LaBorde, the Sabres’ guest of honor at their Hockey Fights Cancer Night last season.
“You learn so much from them,” Matovac said. “You will have problems that you think are so big, then you talk to Sophia for five minutes and realize that your problems are so tiny. Seeing positive attitudes from children who are dealing with so much really gives you perspective on life and energizes you to try and make a difference.”
The Rasmus Dahlin Foundation’s efforts will be focused wholly on Western New York, which the couple said was an easy decision.
“It’s my city now,” Dahlin said. “It’s where I grew up. I want to help the Buffalo community the same way it’s helped me.”
