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Caps in the Community
visit and a Capitals team-signed jersey to display in the school.
Last year Washington Capitals Charities granted $27,000 to 36 local
schools. During the 2009-10 season $31,500 will be donated to 45
schools throughout the Washington metropolitan area.
Most Valuable Kids
The Washington Capitals have teamed up with Most Valuable Kids,
Inc., to provide a unique opportunity for Caps season-ticket holders
to donate unused game tickets to underserved children, recuperating
soldiers and active military and their families in the Washington,
D.C., metropolitan area. Tickets that would otherwise go unused are
redistributed by Most Valuable Kids to either injured soldiers or active
military and their families; or to boys and girls, 18 and younger, through
various local nonprofit organizations. Most Valuable Kids’ mission is
to provide an unparalleled reward system for local underprivileged
children and children’s organizations that show exemplary behavior,
spirit, and community service. In offering children the opportunity to
come face to face with athletic and entertainment role models, Most
Valuable Kids’ program fosters the development of self-esteem and a
deeper understanding of the benefits of hard work and perseverance
during adolescent and teenage years. For more information on Most
Valuable Kids go to www.mostvaluablekids.org.
Community Drives
Community drives are another way that the Capitals partner with fans
who want to get involved in helping the local community. By collecting
canned food, toys or even by allowing fans the opportunity to donate
blood, the team places high priority on making the D.C. area a better
place and helping those who are in need.
Canned Food Drive: Every year the Washington Capitals hold a food
drive to collect canned foods and other
nonperishable food items to benefit the
Capital Area Food Bank. The Capital Area
Food Bank is the largest public nonprofit
food and nutrition education resource in the Washington, D.C.,
metropolitan area. Last year, the Capital Area Food Bank distributed 20
million pounds of food, including six million pounds of fresh produce,
to more than 700 partner agencies. The Capital Area Food Bank has
served the National Capital region for 28 years.
In 2008 the Capitals teamed up with WFED 1500 AM and collected more
than a ton of food and more than $2,000 for the Capital Area Food
Bank. Capitals players’ wives Sasha Bradley, Danielle Johnson, Gwen
Pothier and Didi Steckel greeted fans at the F Street entrance along
with volunteers from the Capital Area Food Bank. Fans who provided
nonperishable food or monetary donations received a poster featuring
Caps defenseman and canned food drive spokesman Mike Green.
Through the canned food drive the Caps were able to provide more than
16,000 meals to those in need in the D.C. area.
Toy Drive: The holiday season is a time for giving and the Washington
Capitals want to do their part in bringing a smile to the face of every
child. The Capitals partnered with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves for
Caps in the Community
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WASHINGTON CAPITALS OFFICIAL GUIDE
their ninth annual Toys for Tots Toy Drive
in 2008. The Capitals, DC101’s Elliot in the
Morning Show and Comcast SportsNet
worked together to fill a box truck with
toys for disadvantaged children throughout the D.C. area. Caps
defenseman Jeff Schultz and forward Eric Fehr and his wife Rachel
joined U.S. Marines outside of Verizon Center’s main entrance to collect
toys and monetary donations. Every fan who donated a new, unwrapped
toy received a commemorative Caps poster featuring Alex Ovechkin.
More than $1,000 in monetary donations was also collected last year for
the Toys for Tots Foundation at the Toy Drive.
Inova Blood Drive: The Washington Capitals and Inova Blood Donor
Services collected 415 units of blood
at their fall 2008 blood drive at Kettler
Capitals Iceplex. With the overwhelming
support of nearly 500 Caps fans, the drive
marked the most successful blood donation campaign hosted by the
Capitals. Capitals legend Peter Bondra took time to sign autographs for
donors, who also received two free Caps tickets and a limited edition
Caps alternate logo jersey T-shirt. Miss Virginia Tara Wheeler also took
time to greet donors. One blood donation can save up to three lives,
and the 415 units collected by the Caps could help more than 1,200
local patients.
Red Cross Blood Drive: The Capitals teamed up with the American
Red Cross of the Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Region to host their
fourth-annual blood drive in 2009 at Kettler Capitals Iceplex and The
Gardens Ice House. Thanks to extraordinary support from Caps fans,
the drive was the Caps’ most successful Red Cross blood drive ever.
Five hundred people attempted to donate and the Red Cross was able
to collect 407 productive units of blood. Capitals legend Peter Bondra,
the official spokesman, stopped by the drive to greet donors and
sign autographs. Fans who donated received a limited edition Bondra
bobblehead along with two tickets to a Caps game. One blood donation
can save up to three lives, so the 407 units collected by the Caps helped
to save more than 1,200 local patients.