Hockey Helps Kids Announces Fifth NHL Season

June 20, 2019
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EDMONTON, AB – The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF) announced today the return of Hockey Helps Kids for a fifth year as a key program for the Edmonton Oilers 2019-20 National Hockey League (NHL) season. This exciting philanthropic initiative brings together local junior high schools, charities and the Edmonton Oilers to give youth a chance to learn about being active, contributing members in their communities, while generating awareness and funds for a variety of local charities.

A Hockey Helps Kids panel, which included past student and teacher participants from Sister Annata Brockman, Killarney and S. Bruce Smith schools, EOCF staff and Hockey Helps Kids Educational Consultant Sandra Woitas, vetted submissions from schools across Edmonton. After a rigorous review, four schools were selected to participate. Congratulations to Allendale, Balwin, Hillcrest and Westminster Junior High Schools for being chosen to compete in the Hockey Helps Kids Charity Cup Challenge for the 2019-20 season.

“At Westminster Junior High, we are a community-focused culture that embraces stewardship and service to others,” said Shauna Paul, principal at Westminster Junior High. “Our school is looking forward to participating in Hockey Helps Kids as a way to provide our students with a unique opportunity to make positive change in our city by using their voices to advocate for the things they care about.”

Each year, the winning school receives $25,000 for their chosen charity and each of the runner-up teams receive a participation award of $10,000 for their charity. Last season, Sister Annata Brockman School, captained by Oilers forward and three-time Charity Cup champion, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, took home the 4th annual Hockey Helps Kids Charity Cup with the most votes for Autism Edmonton. Autism Edmonton’s goal is to enhance the lives of families and individuals living with autism, by providing life-long support and creating awareness, acceptance, and opportunities in the Edmonton community.

Hockey Helps Kids, co-founded by Chloe and Harrison Katz, children of Edmonton Oilers Chairman Daryl Katz and his wife Renee, is funded by the Katz family and administered by the EOCF. The Foundation helps connect the Katz children with the four local Edmonton junior high schools and four Oilers players, who serve as team captains and assist each school in learning about community service.

“Each year, this program grows and expands as more students get involved and become inspired,” said Hockey Helps Kids co-founder, Harrison Katz. “The impact these students have goes beyond their classrooms and schools, leaving a lasting mark on the community in Edmonton and on the students themselves.”

More details on this year’s Hockey Helps Kids program, including team captains, will be announced when the program launches in the fall.

For more information on Hockey Helps Kids, please visit HockeyHelpsKids.com, download the Oilers Mobile App or check out Hockey Helps Kids on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.