24 Hours of Hockey! Yes, you heard that right! Every year on Labor Day weekend at the Dix Hills ice rink on Long Island, a 24 hour hockey event occurs to honor a charity. This all started in 2015, when my aunt wanted to help raise money for the North Shore Holiday House, which is a summer camp for underprivileged girls. My uncle was doing charity work with the Ronald Mcdonald House, and had connections to Adam Graves and Stephan Metteau. My family has a love for hockey, and many have played the sport for years. As a result of this connection, a hockey charity event was born with the help of my family and these two retired New York Rangers players.
This event, called Hockey Helps, has helped many local charities. Since we have started the marathon, we have raised over $3.5 million for underprivileged children and people who are suffering with depression, addiction, and cancer.
In order to raise money for these charities, volunteers set up fundraising pages prior to the event. During the event, there are raffles, fifty fifties, and Hockey Helps shirts sold. There is live music and the charities involved come to share their mission. During the event there are seven men’s hockey teams, two women’s teams, and sled teams that play every hour for the entirety of the event. Each team also has a retired NHL hockey player that plays on their team for the game. These players are retired from the New York Rangers and Islanders.
This marthon is something that I am proud to be a part of! It means so much to me because of the love, family, and friendship that goes into the event. It really shows how much people care – from the volunteers, to the players, and the people that come down to watch. It is truly amazing how much we have accomplished over the years and are able to help those in need.