Eugene Melnyk would never let his hockey players worry about how they're going to pay for their next meal or buy that piece of equipment they need.

He doesn't believe Canada's top amateur athletes should either.

So the Ottawa Senators owner has joined forces with the Canadian Athletes Now (CAN) Fund to launch a national campaign called Patrons of Sport.

The billionaire founder of drug giant Biovail has contributed $1 million to start the program, which is designed to raise money for Canadian athletes.

''You can't imagine my players not having a coach, not having the best equipment, not being able to eat properly and not having the chance to train and compete against their international peers,'' he said Wednesday while standing in front of a stage full of Canadian athletes during a news conference to announce the initiative.





''The players on my Ottawa Senators are among the best in the world at their sport but so are the athletes behind me. The difference is that these amateur athletes confront immense financial challenges in order to compete at a world class level.''

Melnyk, who was contacted by CAN Fund founder Jane Roos, said he decided to get involved after hearing about the financial struggles many amateur athletes encounter.

''If somebody like me doesn't know about this issue and I'm right smack in the middle of the sporting world, I bet you 99 per cent of Canadians have no idea that our athletes need funding,'' he said. ''When you hear some of the stories of how they'll do anything they can to raise the funds to get there, this was an easy one to get involved in.''

Melnyk's bank account was boosted to the tune of $300,000 Sunday when his horse Marchfield won the Breeders' Stakes.

CAN Fund is a not-for-profit organization devoted solely to raising money and awareness for Canada's amateur athletes. It has helped more than 500 athletes prepare for international summer and winter competitions.

The new campaign's philosophy is that all donors, large or small, will be designated as a Patron of Sport.

Melnyk, who will meet with Senators senior executives next week to discuss some fundraising strategies for the campaign, hopes NHL fans will be willing to open their wallets.

''If you take a look at all the National Hockey League teams, there is over six million people that go to these games,'' he said. ''Ottawa alone has a million . . . so we could do a lot inside the arenas.''

Athletes can apply twice a year for a grant of $6,000 and CAN Fund then distributes the money based on several criteria, including world ranking and financial need.

''We create a huge list and then we just try to clear it,'' said Roos.

Jennifer Botterill of the Canadian women's hockey team says the program makes a huge difference.

''Being an athlete is a full-time commitment,'' she said. ''It allows you to spend more time on your training.''

The launch of the campaign coincided with the official one-year countdown to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Toronto's David Wright of the Canadian sailing team is hoping to qualify for China at next year's world championships in Australia. He'd like to hire a coach while he's Down Under but it isn't cheap given that he will have to foot the bill for that person's transportation, food and other living expenses.

''A coach is probably the most expensive thing that we have to buy,'' he said. ''That's the biggest funding issue.''

Wright says a good coach would probably cost somewhere around $300 a day so a CAN Fund grant would go a long way.

''We think we know how much money we're going to have at the beginning of the year and you budget accordingly,'' he said. ''If I had more money, I'd budget for more things.''

Fellow sailor Bernard Luttmer of Toronto, who competed at the Athens Olympics, will also be looking to book his ticket to Beijing in Australia and plans to put any grant money he receives towards coaching.

''I'm going to be able to spend a little bit more money getting a higher quality coach, who's going to take me to the next level,'' he said. ''Somebody who really understands the sport at the high level and who can guide me to win a medal hopefully.''

Melnyk hopes the Patrons of Sport campaign will also help Canadian athletes catch up to their counterparts around the world.

''The funding that some of the other countries get is virtually unlimited,'' said Melnyk, who will attend next year's Olympics with his young daughters. ''For us, it's not a lot more that's needed to get the job done, to make it a level playing field.''

- Donations can be made on-line at www.PatronsofSport.com or by calling 1-866-YES-2008 with funds going directly to the athletes.