Last year the Cub Scouts from Cincinnati, Ohio gathered toys and gifts for a local orphanage as part of HP4K’s Give Moore for the Holidays program. (Read last year’s story here.) The goal of the program is to involve as many people from the community as possible to spread holiday cheer, and contribute to some amazing holiday experiences for kids who are less fortunate.
This year’s initiative was no different and Scout Packs 445, 124, and 101 couldn’t wait to be a part of the giving again. Retired Cincinnati Cyclone, Scott Reynolds, who helped to spearhead last year’s gift drive, was highly involved with the organizing and giving of gifts this season to St. Joe’s Orphanage.
“HP4K was fortunate to coordinate with the Scouts again this year in a gift drive to benefit St Joseph’s Orphanage in Cincinnati. I was amazed at the generosity of the Scout families and the dedication shown by the Scouts themselves as they continue to participate with a great organization. We were able to directly impact the lives of countless young people and that is what HP4K is all about,” said Scott of this year’s initiative.
The number of participating kids tripled from last year and one even received a bike. It has become one of the greatest joys of the holiday’s for the Scout Packs to be able to provide their underprivileged peers with something that is so readily available to them.
“The generosity and thoughtfulness shown by both HP4K and the Scout Packs was inspiring. We feel honored to have been in their hearts and minds this Christmas season. I wish I could explain how much of a positive impact the gifts truly made on every boy here. We want both organizations to know, they made the closing of this year very special.” Tracy Blankemeyer, St. Joe’s Orphanage.
We’re officially two weeks into one of the most participated in, world-wide, initiatives HP4K has ever been a part of. After 14 days, our network and Team HP4K have raised over $1100 in support of men’s health awareness and Movember.
With 13 participating teams and dozens of players, Team HP4K spans six countries and three continents. There are over 1.1 million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas out there and we’re happy to be a part of the group. Take a look at our guys sporting their pre-stache baby-faces here, and stay tuned for mid-month updates beginning later this week.
Do you want to take part in this huge, month-long event? We would like you to send in your best mustache picture for a chance to win some awesome HP4K prizes. The best ‘stache will be chosen at the end of the month. Pictures should be sent to info@hp4k.org and include your name and email address so we can contact you if you win!
One of HP4K’s newest members for the 2011-12 hockey season, Kevin McNamara, not only brings with him a love for the game and philanthropic spirit, but he also opens up a new door for the organization.
As part of his senior year at Colgate University, McNamara was challenged to create an organization of his own which led to the ECAC’s newest charitable platform, Goals for Good.
Goals for Good’s mission is to provide a vehicle inspiring people to donate to chosen non-profit organizations through collegiate ice hockey competition.
Giving back to the communities that have supported and been home to the teams of the ECAC is the driving force behind this charitable project. The captains of each ECAC school has partnered their team with a charity in close relation to the team, school, and/or community.
The ECAC has always been known to be one of the most competitive leagues in the country. Goals for Good will show that this spirit reaches far beyond the ice surface. By making this project a charitable competition with various bonuses for the top performing teams and their communities, Goals for Good hopes to bring an increased amount of aid and awareness to these charities this season.
You can support Hockey Players for Kids through Princeton University‘s page beginning October 25 or find your favorite team, your favorite organization and donate any amount toward their goals for the season.
When the Cincinnati Firefighters Hockey Club asked us to join them on July 29, 2011 for Hockey Fights Cancer we were excited to be considered for the event. The Firehouse Grill in Blue Ash, Ohio was a no-brainer as the venue, as many of the restaurants roots are planted in the firefighting industry.
The Cincinnati Firefighters Hockey Club is organized to promote sportsmanship by giving back to the community and raising funds for charities. President Bryan Schmidlapp approached local cancer related charities, along with HP4K, and chose to give all proceeds from the night to these organizations.
There were donations at the door, auction items, dinner and dancing. Patrons could bid on a Cincinnati Cyclones or HP4K Classic jersey, Jonny Gomes signed picture along with four Reds’ tickets, or a Ben Roethlisberger Steelers jersey. Other smaller items were up for auction and raffle throughout the night.
A few Cincinnati Cyclones were in attendance: Dustin Sproat, Barret Ehgoetz, Dan Eves, and Scott Reynolds as well as former Cyclone and European player Matt Macdonald. The guys were happy to sign autographs and mingle with all fans and diners; a few even made it out to the dance floor during the evening.
Everyone who came out for the Hockey Fights Cancer event contributed to a very successful evening for all of the organizations involved. Through the generous donations funds were raised and awareness was brought to the ongoing fight against cancer.
This year two of our members were offered the opportunity to play alongside other professional athletes and entertainment personalities in the 15th Annual Mathis Foundation for Children Celebrity Golf Classic.
The Golf Center at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio was home to this year’s celebrity golf tournament. The publicity from this event brings awareness to the foundations commitment to local kids in crisis. The Mathis Foundation for Children is dedicated to supporting and engaging youth living in substitute care, and providing encouragement necessary to succeed in an educational environment.
This year two of our members were asked to play alongside other professional athletes, television, radio and national personalities. Barret Ehgoetz and Matt Macdonald teed off on both days of the event. The days were long, hot and humid but the guys enjoyed every second of their time out there.
“It was an honor to be considered for this event,” said Macdonald, “The tournament was full of great people who were dedicated to supporting the Mathis Foundation’s initiative.”
Last year member Scott Reynolds went to Coney Island to join Walk Now Autism Speaks in order to help bring awareness to a developmental disorder that effects another family every 20 minutes.
Reynolds was joined this year in the Grand Tent by two other HP4K members, Barret Ehgoetz and Matt Macdonald. The guys helped to raise money to fund research and help families with their ever growing costs. The day earned $1.4 million with the help of 25,000 attendees.
Learn more about this year’s event and see how you can become involved with Autism Speaks here.
The Northern Kentucky Hockey Kids (NKHK) organization is a group that raises funds for families who cannot always afford the equipment and lessons needed in order to play the sport.
NKHK was started by Tammy Nolan, a single mother, who overheard another mom saying she couldn’t afford to keep her son playing hockey due to financial reasons. “I never want to see a child give up on their dream because of a financial burden,” says Tammy.
HP4K and NKHK hooked up on March 24, 2011, to bring out a few Cincinnati Cyclones players to sign autographs and take professional photos with kids from the area as part of a fundraising event. Dustin Sproat, Scott Reynolds and Mike Liambas attended the event and spent some time with the kids.
“Unfortunately, there are a lot of parents who don’t have the funds to enroll their kids in hockey or to pay for equipment,” Dustin Sproat commented. “Tammy Nolan and NKHK are doing great things by raising money to make sure any kid who wants to play can.”
Check out all of the professional photos taken at the event and learn more about NKHK on their website: http://nkyhockeykids.weebly.com/
Now it’s easier than ever to support HP4K. GoodSearch.com, powered by Yahoo!, is a new search engine with a social mission. Every time you use GoodSearch.com to search for information online, about a penny will be donated to HP4K.
Also, every time you shop online at 1,000 participating stores through GoodShop.com, including Amazon, eBay, Target, Apple, Staples, Expedia, etc., a percentage of your purchase will be donated to HP4K for free. To give you a sense of how the money can add up, the ASPCA has already earned more than $30,000!
More than 95,000 nonprofits and schools are now participating in the program and 100 new organizations are joining daily.
GoodSearch has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, Oprah Magazine, Good Morning America and more. Click on the video below to learn more, and as always, thanks for your support of HP4K!
Jarrett Konkle, one of HP4K’s newest members, is growing his locks just to shave them off this spring on behalf of The St. Baldrick’s Foundation. St. Baldrick’s is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. What began as a challenge between friends has grown into the world’s fastest growing volunteer-driven fundraising opportunity benefiting childhood cancer research.
Jarrett will shave his head on March 23, 2011 (check back here for pictures!).
“Any donation you could give would be greatly appreciated by not only myself, but by the Foundation and the children as well,” Jarrett said. “I participated in this event back in 2008 and thought it was a great way to raise money and awareness for an important cause.”
To donate securely online to St. Baldrick’s in Jarrett’s name, click here. If you are an HP4K member or a general supporter who is also interested in participating in the head-shaving event in 2011, please contact Melissa at melissa.reynolds@hp4k.org.
Enthusiastic HP4K supporters in the Cincinnati area are accepting donations for HP4K at the door of their annual Haunted House this weekend. If you live in the area and are looking for some Halloween fun, please consider stopping by! 100% of the proceeds raised that night will benefit HP4K.
