During his 13 seasons with the Calgary Flames, Mark Giordano has been a great contributor to both the team and the Calgary community. A caring heart and a welcoming personality, Giordano is approachable to fans of all ages and has demonstrated a long history of community service. In 2011, Giordano alongside his wife Lauren launched a unique community program in partnership with Habitat for Humanity called 5-for-5. During its two seasons, the 5-for-5 initiative helped provide the funding to build five homes. Of these homes, four were built in developing countries (Kenya, Ethiopia, India and the Philippines), while the fifth home was built in the Calgary area. Giordano continued to commit himself to the Calgary community through the launch of Team Giordano in September 2014. In partnership with the Calgary Board of Education (CBE), the Calgary Flames Foundation, Pizza 73 and the Italian Open Charity Golf Tournament, Team Giordano has donated $400,000 to four Calgary schools, impacting 1,900 students. The funding supports the purchase of new computers, floor hockey equipment, school supplies and each child's own journal together with a program that provides students mentorship opportunities developed and supported by Mark and Lauren.
As a result of Team Giordano's impact, Mark and Lauren were named the recipients of the Calgary Board of Education's Lighthouse Award, presented annually to an organization or program for its contributions to the CBE, its schools and its programs. Mark continued to put his name behind other important community causes. Giordano has marched in the annual Calgary Pride Parade several times, along with lending his voice in support of the You Can Play Project, an advocacy program that challenges sports teams to stamp out discrimination based on sexual orientation.
In recognition of his community efforts, Giordano was the recipient of the 2014-15 NHL Foundation Player Award presented annually to the player "who applies the core values of hockey - commitment, perseverance and teamwork - to enrich the lives of people in his community."
His efforts in the community have also been acknowledged on numerous occasions by the Calgary Flames organization, beginning in March of 2012, when the club named Giordano the recipient of the J.R. McCaig Award. The J.R. McCaig Award honours two Calgary Flames personnel, a player and staff member, who best exemplify Mr. McCaig's enduring virtues of respect, courtesy and compassion for all individuals he encountered both in his professional and everyday life. Giordano continued to be recognized when on March 8, 2016 he was named the recipient of the 2015-16 Ralph T. Scurfield Humanitarian Award, presented annually to the Flames player who best exemplifies perseverance, determination and leadership on the ice, combined with dedication to community service off the ice.
In 2017, Mark Giordano became the first NHL player to receive the prestigious Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award, which recognizes an athlete whose continuous, demonstrated leadership has created a positive impact on their community through sports.
