NHL players donate 50 sets of equipment to local children

The Ted Dore Memorial Fund recently announced a donation of 50 brand new sets of hockey equipment, courtesy of the NHLPA’s Goals & Dreams fund. This donation is geared towards helping supplement the risings costs of hockey equipment for today’s minor hockey player.

Andrew Brunette, a member of the Minnesota Wild, grew up and still lives in the community. He said he is thrilled about this opportunity to give back to the game he loves.

“Over the last few years we toiled with the idea of opening a hockey equipment bank for the Valley East community. The NHLPA’s Goals & Dreams fund has allowed us to jump-start this program with their generous donation.

“With the downturn in the economy, this is the ideal time to establish a program of this nature. The last thing a child should have to worry about is playing with proper equipment.”

Here's how it works:

The hockey equipment bank will loan out pieces of equipment to children in the Valley East Minor Hockey system, from ages four to 14, for the duration of the hockey season. At the end of the season, the equipment will be returned to the bank for use the following year. This program is designed for families who need assistance. For those families who wish to donate equipment, the equipment bank will gladly accept these deposits, according to a press release.

Chairman of the Goals & Dreams fund Devin Smith, commented on the success of the program.

“Over the last 10 years, NHL players have donated more than $17 million to fund and assist grassroots hockey programs around the world. We’ve sent equipment everywhere from Australia to South Africa, Europe, and North America. The biggest obstacle in participating in hockey is the cost of equipment. Our goal is to bridge that gap for less fortunate children.”

In 1999, the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) launched the Goals & Dreams fund as a way for the players to give something back to the game they love. The players’ program has donated full sets of hockey equipment to more than 9,000 economically-challenged children in 17 countries and assisted with upgrades and the building of hundreds of arenas worldwide. For more information on the NHLPA, visit www.nhlpa.com.