On July 19-23, HP4K members Ian McNally and Darroll Powe, along with Grade 2 teacher from Toronto, Marty Welch, organized a hockey camp in Princeton, NJ for kids ages 5-14.

“Forty kids who were eager to play and learn signed up,” McNally said, “and we all had a great time!” Click here to see photos from the camp.

On May 22, Cincinnati Cyclones players Dustin Sproat, Jamie Coghlan and Chris Morehouse, along with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers’ Brett Westgarth, spent time at the inaugural Youth Wellness Camp, presented by the Ndukwe Foundation. More than 200 children from nonprofit organizations in the Greater Cincinnati area participated in an interactive health expo and fitness camp led by the Foundation. NFL player Rocky Boiman and the Ignition Athletic Performance Group were also in attendance.

The Ndukwe Foundation was founded in 2009 and is dedicated to providing resources to help local communities establish lives enriched with wellness. Chinedum continually realizes the benefits of healthy living in his daily interactions and career, committed to educating youth on the benefits of healthy eating, staying active and setting goals to achieve optimal wellness.

HP4K’s Oren Eizenman and teammates organized a fun, finale celebration of the reading program Oren launched at Bristow Middle School in Stockton, California this spring by holding a floor hockey game in the school’s gym.

Students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade were challenged to read as much as possible between February 24 and March 30.

Top readers from each grade were awarded with the chance to play against the Stockton Thunder, and proceeds from all ticket sales from the event were donated back to Bristow’s reading program.

Congrats to everyone involved for putting together such a fun, successful community event!

Cincinnati’s extension of HP4K is in the process of setting up a partnership with Most Valuable Kids, a nonprofit organization that brings smiles to kids faces by offering charitable children’s organizations access to professional and collegiate sports and entertainment events through an online ticket donation system.

MVK facilitates the donation and distrubution of unused tickets to kids who would enjoy the opportunity to go to an event, but would otherwise not be able to because of the high costs associated with tickets. Tickets are distributed to kids (ages 18 and under) through local organizations that focus on children in low-income and underserved households.

HP4K is very excited about the possibility of working closely with MVK. Look for more news about our initiatives in the coming months!

The Hinton Parklander, a weekly newspaper out of Hinton, Alberta recently spotlighted the volunteer efforts of HP4K co-founder, Mike Batovanja. Click here to read the full-text.

A nice article on HP4K co-founder, Dustin Sproat, in the March 2, 2010 edition of The Cincinnati Enquirer. Click here to read the full text.

One of HP4K’s newest members, Bruce Mulherin, is carrying out the organization’s mission this season in Asia, spending time with school children and teaching learn-to-skate programs. Way to go, Bruce!

To see more photos of Bruce in action, click here.

Executive Director, Dustin Sproat, was interviewed about Hockey Players for Kids as part of NHL.com’s weekly ECHL Report.

To read the full text, click here.

Cincinnati Cyclones players represented their team and HP4K on January 26, 2010 as part of radio station 700 WLW’s “Local Sports Celebrities for Haiti Relief” effort. The guys sorted items in Matthew 25: Ministries’ warehouse, packaging nonperishable food and water, personal care products, cleaning products, first aid supplies and home goods for shipment to Haiti.

“We are so grateful… Our athletes and local celebrities have a tremendous potential to inspire the community. We appreciate them spending their time to help the people of Haiti,” said Tim Mettey, Vice President and Disaster Relief Coordinator for Matthew 25: Ministries.

Click here to check out more photos of the guys volunteering in M2M’s warehouse.

Mac Faulkner is carrying out HP4K’s mission across the Atlantic with his teammates in Alleghe, Italy:

“We just had a great hospital visit over here in Italy. Five of the guys on my team got involved and we had a great time spending time with the kids in the ward. We’re also working in our spare time as instructors at a local learn to skate program. It’s on an outdoor rink, but we’re having fun and are teaching the kids our short and choppy strides…”