HP4K member, T.J. McElroy, is donating his time and talent this month as a volunteer coordinator for DinoMights, a Minnesota organization dedicated to helping urban youth develop physical, academic, social and spiritual excellence.
“Basically, I’m in charge of two volunteer shifts at Augsburg Ice Arena in Minneapolis,” McElroy told us. “I’m getting groups together to help inner-city first graders tie their skates and then get them out on the ice for the first time. These learn-to-skate sessions introduce the kids to DinoMights and many of them will officially join the program this fall.”
DinoMights is also affiliated with the NHL’s Hockey is for Everyone program, an initiative that provides support and unique programming to nonprofit youth hockey organizations across North America that are committed to offering children of all backgrounds opportunities to play hockey.
“What’s cool about it is that it’s much more than a hockey program – it’s a family and a way of life. The high school graduation rate for kids that go through the DinoMights program is 85%, as compared to the 55% average seen by the Minneapolis Public Schools.”
“The Foundation was started upon the passing of a hockey player who was dear to me and so many people who knew her,” said McElroy. “We are volunteering with DinoMights to carry on her legacy as a giver and a leader.”
For more information on how to get involved with the DinoMights program, click here. To see a photo gallery of T.J. McElroy helping out with the program this spring, click here.
The Stockton Record’s Sports staff has taken notice of HP4K’s California contingent and recently ran a story highlighting the guys’ involvement at Hoover Elementary School.
Reporter Scott Linesburgh interviewed HP4K members Daryl Marcoux and Oren Eizenman about their weekly road hockey clinics with groups of students in third through sixth grade:
“It’s a lot of fun, and this is about the kids,” Marcoux said. “They are great, and they really enjoy themselves learning the game.”
“We have as much fun as they do, trust me,” Eizenman said. “It’s really gratifying. The whole idea is to do something in the communities where we play and make it fun for the kids.”
Click here to read the full-text article, then check out the accompanying video for some live action footage and funny commentary from the kids.
HP4K members/Cincinnati Cyclones players recently partnered with a youth hockey team from the Cincinnati Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) to give a group of underprivileged children from the Cincinnati area a unique opportunity to learn about hockey.
Dozens of kids, including members from the US Bank Boys & Girls Club in Avondale and the Buenger Boys & Girls Club in Newport, KY, came out to participate alongside local youth hockey players.
HP4K members (Jason Jozsa, Jimmy Kilpatrick, Doug Krantz, Chris Morehouse, Scott Reynolds, Dustin Sproat and Mark Van Guilder) helped the children suit up with skates, sticks and helmets, and taught participants how to skate, pass and shoot.
“It was the first time many of these kids had ever been on the ice,” Sproat commented. “HP4K is about positively impacting the lives of children in our community and events like this allow us to spread the spirit of giving back beyond our professional members to youth hockey players, introducing our mission to a new generation. We love working with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati, an amazing organization we want to continue to support in any way possible.”
A pizza party and autograph signing followed the event — everyone involved had a blast — and we look forward to making this a regular HP4K event.
Click here to check out a photo gallery from the event.
HP4K members/South Carolina Stingrays players recently spent time with children at an afterschool program in Dorchester, SC.
Spencer Carbery, Johann Kroll, Matt Scherer and others helped with homework, played board games with the kids (including some pretty competitive Connect 4), and organized a kickball clinic.
Click here to check out more great photos from the afternoon.
Stockton’s HP4K contingent just organized the first of many road hockey clinics to come in partnership with a YMCA afterschool program at a local elementary school. Daryl Marcoux, Oren Eizenman and Matt Robinson spent an hour playing road hockey with fourth graders, then an hour with fifth and sixth graders in the program. Daryl Marcoux shared more details about the initiative:
“I had some swedish wooden balls to do a stick handling and passing clinic. Then we did some shooting with tennis balls, and then played a good old-fashioned game using small, portable soccer nets that the YMCA had. The Stockton Thunder lent us 22 small road hockey sticks, and we will be doing the clinics every Tuesday in March. I’m looking forward to next week!”
Click here to check out more photos of the latest spring road hockey clinic in Stockton.
HP4K co-founder Mike Batovanja has recently started volunteering in a fifth grade classroom in Wichita:
“I’m enjoying reading with the kids and helping them work on their math skills—plus, I make sure they learn a little something about hockey and Canada at the same time! Every Thursday, I spend the afternoon with the kids, just trying to be a good role model. It’s been great so far, and I hope to work with Ms. Gough’s class even after the season is done.”
Click here to check out more photos of Mike volunteering in Wichita.
Cincinnati HP4K members, Barret Eghoetz, Ryan Del Monte and Dustin, volunteered time with kids this January in Newport, KY at the Buenger Boys and Girls Club games room.
Delly spent some time playing shuffleboard and Dustin helped the kids build a little house with big foamy puzzle pieces. Eggo played house and was served some of Cincy’s famous Skyline Chili (Connect 4 pieces in a toy bowl) by a little girl.
After playing games, the guys went over to the common room and talked to some of the older kids in the Club (ages 12-14).
“They thought it was cool we played hockey,” said Dustin, ”and were asking us all about the fights. I pretended that I’m much tougher than I really am.”
From the common room, the guys moved on to help in the study area, assisting kids with math homework, puzzles and computer learning games.
In December 2009, Dustin Sproat, Barret Ehgoetz, Scott Reynolds, Jamie Coghlan, Mark Voakes, Jason Jozsa and Jimmy Kilpatrick visited the U.S. Bank Boys & Girls Club in Cincinnati.
Sproater and Voakesy helped some of the kids with homework and reading assignments, while Eggo and Jimmy spent time playing Bags in the rec area. Cogs, Renny and Joz spent quality time in the gym, playing basketball with some really talented kids. Cogs had huge sweat pancakes on his HP4K shirt, he was working so hard to get in the lane.
“Sproater, Joz and I played 3-on-3 against two young kids (age 11) and one of their older brothers,” said Scott Reynolds, ”and got seriously schooled despite our size advantage.”
“Attendance was light that afternoon because of a shooting down the street the day before,” said Dustin Sproat. ”A stray bullet hit the Club’s front doors at 3:30 p.m. Luckily it was raining hard that day so the kids were inside the gymnasium. Normally they would have been running around outside that door waiting for the Club to open up after school.”
CincyAfterSchool is a partnership between the Cincinnati Public Schools and the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati, with the goal of improving students’ academic achievement and reducing risk-taking behaviors.
Throughout the 09-10 hockey season, HP4K members in Cincinnati have had a blast spending time with kids at Pleasant Ridge Montessori—sharing lessons on leadership and fitness, and playing a lot of floor hockey.
Click here to see a ton of photos from volunteer sessions with CincyAfterSchool.
On November 29, 2009, HP4K co-founders Ian McNally and Darroll Powe organized a road hockey event for Philadelphia’s Boys & Girls Club, Bridesburg Unit. Following the afternoon of road hockey at the Boys & Girls Club facility, HP4K and the Princeton Youth Hockey Association donated equipment to the Club.
“One of the core programs of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia is sports, fitness and recreation, and we’re glad we were able to partner with such a great organization,” said Ian McNally. “Not only did we get to spend time with the Boys & Girls Club kids, but my youth hockey players had the opportunity to share some of their knowledge while participating in a fun community service project.”
To see even more photos from the event, click here.
HP4K member, T.J. McElroy, is donating his time and talent this month as a volunteer coordinator for DinoMights, a Minnesota organization dedicated to helping urban youth develop physical, academic, social and spiritual excellence.
CincyAfterSchool is a partnership between the Cincinnati Public Schools and the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati, with the goal of improving students’ academic achievement and reducing risk-taking behaviors.
On November 29, 2009, HP4K co-founders Ian McNally and Darroll Powe organized a road hockey event for Philadelphia’s Boys & Girls Club, Bridesburg Unit. Following the afternoon of road hockey at the Boys & Girls Club facility, HP4K and the Princeton Youth Hockey Association donated equipment to the Club.
