Last year, a number of us sat at a table over breakfast to discuss an idea. That idea was a simple one, that hockey, one of the best sports on the planet, was great at building community. And that veterans, one of our nation’s most important yet often invisible groups, were at a higher risk (relative to the population at large in the United States) of substance abuse, of suicide, and of homelessness.
Our overriding goal was to help to change that, to create a safety net that was there to support and help veterans as they made the transition to civilian life. What if we could take that community that hockey fosters and bring it to these veterans, and build within the state of Washington a support group of like-minded people that could look out for one another? Could hockey become the perfect vehicle to rally and build a community for the diverse collection of military veterans that call our part of the country home.
The hockey community is a broad one. It’s easy to see the impact the Kraken and the NHL have had on our region. At the same time, the hockey community is so much more than just one professional team. It’s the community around our five WHL teams that call our state home, in Spokane, Wenatchee, Seattle, Everett, and the Tri-Cities. It’s the community that surrounds our huge youth programs in Bellingham, West Sound, Spokane, Tacoma, Everett, Sno-King, Seattle, Kent, Wenatchee, Tri-Cities, Winthrop, and Vancouver. Including our 16U Tier II National Championship girls team! It’s the community around our more casual programs, from our Over 40 leagues to BEHL and TechRec, to Western Washington Middle and High School spring hockey, to our Try Hockey Free and Learn To Play teen and adult programs. Hockey is a vibrant and growing part of our state, and our first goal was to grow that community even further, with the addition of ice times for veterans regardless of skill.
For the last twelve months, we’ve done exactly what we started out to do, and created a structural foundation we need to move this effort forward. We’ve held a dozen skates, we’ve worked through the necessary legal and tax paperwork to make ourselves official. We’ve elected a board and set our first group of officers, and we’ve built a community of folks through our web and social presence that has helped us to drive awareness. We even have our own logo and jerseys! All that positions us to take huge strides in year 2.
Most importantly, the tax designation to officially grant us non-profit status has come through. We’ve self-funded to this point, waiting for this day to be official, and now have crossed a major milestone allowing us to accept donations. Head over to our website to donate today.
Heading into this year, our objective is to expand the community in ways that are about more than just hockey. Hockey is the scaffolding we’ve erected to focus on our objective, and we can’t lose sight of that objective – to build a community that exists to support our veterans. Support happens by being a willing listener in the locker room or on the bench, but it is also about bringing more veterans onto the bench and into our community. It means giving additional support services outside the rink. It means that now is the time to elevate and enhance our fundraising and awareness to increase the contribution we give back to this community.
We will continue to offer regular times for our community to get together and celebrate our veterans on the ice. But it also means that we can drive an increase in business support from outside the community, to help us fund an increased number of additional benefits. Benefits such as career counseling and job search help. Regular meetings of the larger community off ice, to foster stronger bonds with each other and expand a support network. Counselors that can assist with those struggling with substance abuse, or feelings of helplessness.
We want to thank all of you who joined us at the start of this journey. There is no end to this adventure, and each year we should be taking steps toward our larger mission of showing our veterans that they matter, that this nation is grateful for their sacrifice, and that we are a growing hockey community that is there for them. We can’t wait to see what our community looks like when we reflect back on year 2, and we are excited to have all of you along for the ride.
The Pacific Northwest Veteran's Hockey Foundation Board: Bill, Nate, Amanda, Suman, & Matt
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