Community News

Slater makes a special visit to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

The Atlanta Thrashers made a special visit to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Scottish Rite campus on Monday, November 9th from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Thrashers forward Jim Slater along with team mascot Thrash was on hand to visit and sign autographs for the children. They also handed out Thrashers goodies to all the kids they visited.

Thrashers Host Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night

The Atlanta Thrashers hosted their Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night on Saturday, October 24th at Philips Arena during their game against the San Jose Sharks. The Thrashers honored Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Month, a league-wide initiative involving the NHL, NHL Players’ Association and all 30 NHL teams, with the goal of raising awareness and funds for national and local organizations involved in cancer care and research.

As part of the event, the Thrashers collaborated with local and national cancer organizations to help raise funds, create awareness of the program and provide unique experiences for those battling cancer. Activities planned to raise funds for charitable organizations included a silent auction of lavender mini-hockey sticks, individually signed by each Thrashers player, a 50/50 raffle to benefit Curing Kids Cancer and the sale of special Hockey Fights Cancer merchandise in the Philips Arena Team Gear Store.

Throughout the night, Thrashers personnel were involved in creating awareness for the initiative. Players wore special Hockey Fights Cancer helmet decals, which were worn through the entire month of October, and Thrashers coaches, broadcasters, staff and management wore Hockey Fights Cancer ties, scarves and hats, including team mascot Thrash. Several public service announcements were also made throughout the game to honor the event and informational material was available regarding both the initiative and individual cancer organizations.

In order to assist those effected by cancer, the Thrashers provided tickets to several cancer-related charitable organizations so that children and their families battling the disease could attend, including CURE Childhood Cancer, Curing Kids Cancer, Brain Tumor Foundation and Starlight Starbright. Throughout the game, these special guests participated in a variety of unique experiences, including Zamboni rides, broadcast booth tours and penalty box visits. Photo Gallery

Popovic and Weeks Lend a Hand in the Community

Thrashers defenseman Mark Popovic and Assistant Coach Steve Weeks, along with Atlanta Hawks Vice President of Basketball and Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins and volunteers from The Home Depot, Atlanta Spirit and Atlanta Falcons participated in a refurbishment project at the Joseph B. Whitehead Boys & Girls Club. Volunteers joined forces to help paint the facility, landscape the property and create a football field. The end result was a fun and revamped space where kids can hang out after school. Photo Gallery

Thrashers Foundation Grant Recipients Recognized

Executive Vice President and General Manager Don Waddell recognized the Atlanta Thrashers Foundation 2009-10 grant recipients during an on-ice ceremony prior their game against the Washington Capitals on Thursday, October 22nd at Philips Arena. A representative from each organization that received a grant – Agape Community Center, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities, Children’s Restoration Network, C.H.O.I.C.E.S, CURE Childhood Cancer and Yes Atlanta! –participated in the special pre-game ceremony. Donating a total of $50,000, each organization was selected by the Atlanta Thrashers Foundation to receive grants in order to help benefit their work in the Atlanta community.

Thrashers Fans Donate School Supplies for Clarkdale Elementary

In addition to the normal opening night festivities on Saturday October 4th, the Atlanta Thrashers also held a School Supply Drive to benefit Clarkdale Elementary School. The school, located in Austell in Cobb County, was hit hard by the recent flooding that took place in and around the Metro Atlanta area. Fans who were kind enough to donate new school supplies received a voucher good for two complimentary tickets to the October 22nd or October 24th Thrashers game. It is our hope that the efforts of the Atlanta Thrashers and their fans will help the students and faculty of Clarkdale Elementary regain some sense of normalcy as they start their rebuilding process.

Thorburn Participates in Back to School Backpack Giveaway

Atlanta Thrashers forward Chris Thorburn was on hand at the Agape Community Center on Friday, August 7 from 1-2 p.m. to hand out backpacks as part of the center’s annual Back to School Backpack Giveaway. Thorburn helped distribute backpacks filled with school supplies for children in the Atlanta area. In addition to providing 400 backpacks, the Atlanta Thrashers Foundation gave the Agape Community Center a $10,000 grant to support its GOGIRLGO! program. Since being founded 11 years ago, the Agape Community Center has become a well-known model in Atlanta for successfully building communities and strengthening families. The Center’s mission is to conduct community outreach in a holistic way.

Garth Brooks Presents Thrashers Foundation with $10,000 Check

Thrashers Community Development staff attended The Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation Appreciation Party, where the Thrashers Foundation was presented a $10,000 check. Teammates for Kids raises funds from NHL players, including several Thrashers, who regularly pledge to donate a given amount of money for specific statistics that they accumulate. Garth’s Foundation triples the paid donation of each participating athlete and a portion of the money is donated back to Atlanta’s local market. The Atlanta Thrashers also joined Garth Brooks and NFL legend Troy Aikman at the grand opening for the Child Life Zone at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite on Feb. 4th, a product of a partnership between The Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation and The Troy Aikman Foundation.

Boulton Visits The Children’s Museum

Atlanta Thrashers forward Eric Boulton participated in the Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta’s “ Georgia Peach Promise” on July 15th at noon. Boulton signed peaches for special celebrity placement on the museum’s “Exploring Trees” exhibit, and hosted a meet and greet with fans and guests. The “Georgia Peach Promise” is a pledge promoting the purchasing and consuming of only Georgia peaches this summer. Photo Gallery.

Thrashers Assist in a Habitat Home Build

Atlanta Thrashers forwards Chris Thorburn and Marty Reasoner participated in an Atlanta Habitat for Humanity home build on Wednesday, June 3, along with assistant coach Steve Weeks, Atlanta Thrashers employees, volunteers from the program’s partner UPS and members of the Atlanta Thrashers Fan Club. The build took place from 9am – 2pm at 1079 Lawton Street in Atlanta.

The house, like all homes built by Gwinnett Habitat, is EarthCraft certified, which is better for the environment and energy efficient, making it more affordable for the family to maintain.

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The Thrashers partnership with UPS was developed prior to the 2006-07 season and created several opportunities for Thrashers players and UPS employees to collectively volunteer at select Atlanta area Habitat home builds and other community projects in an effort to improve living arrangements for those with sub-standard housing. Video | Photo Gallery

Kayla’s Reading Garden

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The Hawks and Thrashers helped bring some afternoon cheer to Stonewall Tell Elementary School, which was devastated by the loss of one of their own. Kayla Lemons was a smart and funny student at Stonewall Tell Elementary who lost her life in a horrific Easter car crash that also claimed three members of her family. Earlier this week Kayla was honored when students at the school teamed up with the community to develop a campus memorial to the third-grader. Named “Kayla’s Reading Garden” because of Kayla’s love of books, the area includes benches, flower beds, trees and a plaque about Kayla. After learning the school library was developing a special collection dedicated to Kayla, the Hawks and Thrashers donated books to start the collection, distributed Read to Achieve t-shirts, bookmarks, pencils and much more.

 Kovy Touches the Life of a Young Fan

A family friend to a young boy named Matthew, who is affiliated with the Brain Tumor Foundation, reached out to the Thrashers 3 weeks ago explaining how Matthew was invited to attend Kovy’s Krew event but couldn’t make it due to the severity of his illness. They expressed his disappointment for missing this event because of what a huge Ilya Kovalchuk and Thrashers fan Matthew is. Wanting to do something special for Matthew, Thrash made a surprise visit to his hospital room at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite on Thursday, April 2nd.

Kovy got word of this young boy who was such a big fan of his and touched by his story, decided he wanted to do more. On Tuesday, April 15th after one of Matthew’s scheduled weekly treatments, Kovy surprised him at Scottish Rite for a personal & intimate meet & greet. Kovy arrived with a game used stick & other goodies, which he signed and gave to Matthew. April 15th being Kovy’s birthday as well as his last day in the country before he headed to Russia, he took time out to spend over an hour hanging out, playing put-put and getting to know Matthew.
 

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Amongst everyone involved, Kovy was especially touched by Matthew’s huge heart, contagious personality and love for the Thrashers. According to Matthew’s family & friends, this “unforgettable experience has certainly made them an Ilya and Thrashers fan for life.”

Eric Boulton Hosts a Wii Party at Scottish Rite

Atlanta Thrashers forward Eric Boulton hosted a Nintendo Wii Party at the Child Life Zone inside Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite Wednesday, April 15th. Boulton played Wii and participated in arts and crafts with the patients and also took part in an interview for the Live CCTV Show in the Garth Brooks Theater, which was broadcast to children who could not attend the event and was available for pictures and autographs during the remaining time.

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Boulton is active in Garth Brooks’ Teammates for Kids, an organization where NHL players donate money for specific statistics that they accumulate, including goals, assists, shots and sometimes penalty minutes. In February, Boulton took part in the opening of the Child Life Zone, a state-of-the-art educational and therapeutic environment, funded by the Teammates for Kids Foundation. Photos

Thorburn Host Post-Game Meet & Greet

Chris Thorburn, Thrashers Forward, hosted families from the Chromosome Disorder Outreach Foundation, Ronald McDonald House & Starlight Children’s Foundation Saturday, April 11th for a night of fun. He provided these families with tickets to attend the Thrashers vs. Lightning game that evening. Immediately following the game, he hosted a meet & greet where he signed autographs, took pictures & gave these families a behind-the-scenes look at Philips Arena, escorting them to the ice for a unique photo opportunity.

 

Thrashers Partner Up with Local Youth Sled Hockey Players

As part of the Atlanta Thrashers Hockey is for Everyone initiative, the Atlanta Thrashers partnered up with One Childhood, the AAHL Foundation and the Georgia Sled Hockey Foundation Team during the April 7 Thrashers game. These outstanding youth athletes performed a sled hockey demo during the game’s first intermission. In addition, Brad Emmerson from the US National Sled Hockey Team was on hand to meet the kids & take part in an on-ice interview, explaining to fans more about the sport. After the game, the

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group participated in a meet & greet with Thrashers Forward Rich Peverley and received goodies to take home. Congratulations goes out to all our sled hockey participants: John, Scott, and Teresa Joiner, James Seidl, Allison Schwab, Parr Burton, Bobby Hill, and Matt & Christopher Perry. For more information about this program, please call 770-873-7572 or visit their website at www.georgiasledhockey.org. Photos

 

Exelby Hosts Cooking Class at Young Chefs Academy

Atlanta Thrashers defenseman Garnet Exelby hosted local children from Metro Kidz, Brain Tumor Foundation and CHOICES Tuesday, March 31 at Young Chefs Academy of Sandy Springs for a cooking class. Exelby hosted 25 kids, who learned how to prepare black bean and corn enchiladas & citrus fruit salad. Those in attendance enjoyed the healthy meal they prepared and received a recipe book, Thrashers goodies and a Young Chefs backpack for their participation. Mascot Thrash was also on hand for the culinary activities.

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Young Chefs Academy offers cooking classes to children in a safe environment that encourages discovery and creativity. While learning food preparation skills is the main ingredient of the Academy, each class adds a heap of kitchen safety, a scoop of etiquette, a handful of table setting, a pinch of menu planning and laughter to taste. For more information on the Young Chefs Academy, click on www.youngchefsacademy.com. Photos | Video

Nathan Oystrick Participates In Kovy's Krew Event

Atlanta Thrashers defenseman Nathan Oystrick was on hand to help host a group of children from the Starlight Children's Foundation, CHOICES, Brain Tumor Foundation, North Atlanta Miracle League, CURE Childhood Cancer, Make-A-Wish Foundation and Foster Children's Foundation on Monday, March 30 at Jillian's – Discover Mills for a party and games as part of the Kovy's Krew program. Mascot Thrash was also there to participate in the activities.

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Kovy's Krew offers children living with cancer and those from disadvantaged circumstances the opportunity to visit Jillian's for an afternoon of arcade games, food, laughs and bowling. The 2008-09 season marks the seventh year that Kovalchuk has provided this exciting experience at select times during the season. This special program, supported by Jillian's since its inception, gives children an experience they will never forget. Photos

Thrashers, Hawks, and The Home Depot Go Green With Tree Plant

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As part of Philips Arena's inaugural Green Week, the Atlanta Thrashers, Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena along with The Home Depot rolled up their sleeves and played in the dirt for a special tree planting project at Vine City Park, an area hard hit by the tornado of 2008. Showing their green thumbs for the afternoon were Atlanta Hawks and Thrashers owner Rutherford Seydel, NHL alumni, Hawks players and alumni, Thrash, Harry the Hawk, Blue Crew members, A-Town Dancers, Atlanta Spirit employees and The Home Depot associates. The group planted trees, built a community bulletin board and installed bollards to help keep the greenspace thriving for Vine City residents. Photos

Perrin Reads to Students at Arnold Mill Elementary

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Atlanta Thrashers forward Eric Perrin and Thrash teamed up with The Reading Tree and read to local students at Arnold Mill Elementary on March 18th from 11-1pm. During his visit, Perrin read to three large groups of students in grades 1 through 3, spoke to them about the importance of sportsmanship and held a question and answer session. He also signed autographs and handed out Thrashers giveaway items to the children. The Reading Tree, an organization that supports children's literacy by collecting and redistributing gently used books to kids through local schools and non-profit organizations, was on-hand to donate 100 books to Arnold Mill's Media Center. Photos

St. Patrick's Day Jersey Auction Raises Over $20,000

The Atlanta Thrashers auctioned special St. Patrick's Day green jerseys at their game against the Washington Capitals on Monday, March 16th at Philips Arena. The jerseys were autographed and worn by the Thrashers during pre-game warm-ups and auctioned in the arena during the game.

St. Patrick's Day Jersey Auction

The silent auction held in Philips Experience benefited the Atlanta Thrashers Foundation, which supports Georgia-based organizations committed to improving the lives of children. This year's auction raised over $20,000, with Zach Bogosian's jersey commanding the highest bid at $2,000. Several other jerseys topped the $1,000 mark, including those worn by Ilya Kovalchuk, Kari Lehtonen, Johan Hedberg, Tobias Enstrom and Rich Peverly. Photos | Video

Dunwooody Neighbors Donate to Thrashers Foundation

Members of a local Dunwoody neighborhood honored a fellow neighbor's mother, Lorna O'Connell, by making donations to the Atlanta Thrashers Foundation in her name. Below is an article written by one of the neighbors, explaining the purpose of this generous contribution:

Several neighbors from the Spalding Lake Subdivision in Dunwoody recently made donations to the Thrashers Foundation in memory of Lorna O'Connell.

Mrs. O'Connell was an active 91 year old and an avid hockey fan. She had been living with her son, Kevin, who lovingly took care of her for the past several years. As her health declined and she went out less and less, she filled her craving for hockey action by watching games on Center Ice, the premium hockey channel, for a few hours every day. Mrs. O'Connell was born in Montreal, Canada so her all time favorite team was the Montreal Canadians , but she would watch hockey no matter who was playing and root for any team, except for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Just a month or two before she passed away, she had the opportunity to attend an Atlanta Thrashers game. Even though it was too much walking for her and she had to go in a wheel chair, she couldn't wait to get there to “smell the ice” and see a game live.

The neighbors of Spalding Lake decided that a donation to the Thrasher's Foundation was the perfect way to honor Lorna O'Connell's memory as it combines her love of hockey and doing something good for the Atlanta community.

The Atlanta Thrashers Foundation is dedicated to supporting Georgia-based organizations committed to improving the lives of children. The Foundation will work with children's charities and programs that focus on the areas of health, wellness, education and youth hockey development.

Thrashers Honor Special Olympians

As part of the Atlanta Thrashers Foundation ongoing partnership with the Special Olympics of Georgia, they hosted 3 local athletes for a figure skating performance on Tuesday Feb. 24 versus the Colorado Avalanche. Performing during the first intermission, the first free-style skating routine featured State and South East Regional Champion Sarah Bowman from Gwinnett County skating to In The Mood. Following her performance, Unified Pairs State Champions Steven Torcivia and Peggy Rydberg from Cobb County skated to a piece by Yanni. The Atlanta Thrashers would like to congratulate these outstanding athletes from Special Olympics of Georgia, who is a 2008 Thrashers Foundation Grant Recipient.

NHL Alumnus Tony McKegney Hosted Hockey is for Everyone Day

NHL alumnus Tony McKegney, an ambassador for the NHL's “Hockey is for Everyone” initiative, was in Atlanta on Tuesday, Feb. 24 to host local programs aimed at promoting hockey to children of all backgrounds. McKegney, who played 13 NHL seasons, kicked off the day's events with a school visit and hockey development clinic at BEST Academy from 9:30-11:30a.m. He then made an appearance at the Whitehead Boys & Girls Club to visit kids participating in the Thrashers Street Dashers program from 3:30- 4:30p.m., to speak to the participants and play a scrimmage hockey game.

Following those events, children from BEST Academy, Whitehead Boys & Girls Club, Special Olympics, North Metro Miracle League, LaAmistad & Safehouse Outreach came out for the exclusive opportunity to play floor hockey with McKegney at Thrasherville, located inside the CNN Center from 5-6:30p.m. The “Hockey is for Everyone” day concluded as McKegney hosted the groups at the Thrashers vs. the Colorado Avalanche game that night. During the game that evening, McKegney visited the Special Olympic athletes, who were performing during the first intermission.

The day's activities were a part of the NHL's annual “Hockey is for Everyone” month, a league-wide initiative aimed at promoting the diversity of hockey with the goal of raising awareness and celebrating the growth of the game. To date, “Hockey is for Everyone” has exposed close to 45,000 boys and girls to unique hockey experiences. Photo Gallery | Video #1 | Video #2

 

Thrashers Join Up With Garth Brooks and Troy Aikman at Children's Hospital

The Atlanta Thrashers joined country music star Garth Brooks and NFL legend Troy Aikman at the grand opening for the Child Life Zone at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite on Wednesday, Feb. 4 from 1:15-3 p.m. Head Coach John Anderson was joined by some of the players who participate in the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation, including Eric Boulton, Johan Hedberg, Eric Perrin, Chris Thorburn and Todd White.

In addition to Brooks and Aikman, Teammates for Kids President Don Johnson and Children's President & CEO Donna Hyland was among those on hand along with Keith Brooking of the Atlanta Falcons and Wes Durham, voice of the Atlanta Falcons and Georgia Tech, to discuss the partnership as well as the impact the activity room will have on the hospital and its patients.

The Child Life Zone is a state-of-the-art educational and therapeutic environment for children and their families built within the hospital. It is 3,500 square feet, and features a putting green, basketball court, performance-theater, reading nook, demonstration kitchen, outdoor koi pond and a host of high-tech electronics. This one-of-a-kind space is the product of a partnership between The Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation and The Troy Aikman Foundation.

The Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation raises funds from NHL players, including several Thrashers, who regularly pledge to donate a given amount of money for specific statistics that they accumulate. Some donate based on goals, some for assists, and others for shots, saves or even penalty minutes. Photos | Video

Kovalchuk Hosts Kovy's Krew Event at Jillian's

Atlanta Thrashers forward Ilya Kovalchuk hosted a group of children from Lawrenceville Boys & Girls Club, Agape Community Center, North Metro Miracle League & Foster Children's Foundation at Jillian's – Discover Mills for a party and games on Tuesday, Jan. 13th as a part of his Kovy's Krew program.

Kovy's Krew offers children living with cancer and those from disadvantaged circumstances the opportunity to visit Jillian's for an afternoon of arcade games, food, laughs and bowling with the Thrashers forward. The 2008-09 season marks the seventh year that Kovalchuk will provide this exciting experience at select times during the season. This special program, supported by Jillian's since its inception, gives children an experience they will never forget.

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Kovalchuk also donates his personal suite at Philips Arena for use by these and other organizations in Atlanta. In addition to Thrashers games, these special guests have been able to enjoy the Atlanta Hawks and other exciting shows, special events or concerts. Photos | Video

Click here to read a special thank you letter from the mother of one of the kids who has participated in the Kovy's Krew events at Jillian's.

9th Annual Casino Night A Huge Success

The Atlanta Thrashers held their ninth annual Casino Night fundraiser on Sunday, January 11, raising more than $135,000 for the Atlanta Thrashers Foundation. The event drew more than 500 guests to Opera in midtown Atlanta, and was widely lauded as one of the most successful to date.  In a surprise announcement Ilya Kovalchuk was named the Thrashers seventh captain and presented with a new jersey emblazoned with a C.

“Casino Night was a tremendous success once again and we're proud to host such a wonderful event,” said Executive Vice President and General Manager Don Waddell. “It's a fun way for our players to interact with our fans, sponsors, and community partners while enjoying an exciting evening that raises funds for the Thrashers Foundation and benefits our local community.”

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The evening included casino games, silent and live auctions, raffle prizes, cocktails and a dinner buffet with assorted cuisine. Thrashers players, coaches, and local personalities were on hand as guest dealers at the various casino tables. Ticket sales, auction items, a “mystery bag” fundraiser, player-specific gift baskets and “Thrash Cash,” which could be purchased for play at the tables, all contributed to the fundraising efforts.

The Atlanta Thrashers Casino Night's platinum partners are Philips, The Home Depot, UPS, The IceBox and Savvi Formalwear. Photos | Video

Eric Perrin Assists U.S. Marines at Toys for Tots Distribution Warehouse

Atlanta Thrashers forward Eric Perrin and his family joined mascot Thrash and local members of the U.S. Marine Corp on Dec. 19 at the Toys for Tots warehouse in Marietta, Ga. to sort and prepare toys for distribution to underprivileged children and local charities in the Atlanta area.

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The Thrashers, in conjunction with Kia Motors and the U.S. Marine Corp, collected new, unwrapped toys this holiday season at select home games during the month of December. Each person donating a new, unwrapped toy received a voucher good for two complimentary tickets to a future Thrashers game (one voucher per person).

Thrashers Host a Score for Schools Visit at Local Elementary School

Atlanta Thrashers Hockey Development team, along with Thrash, visited Big Shanty Elementary School as a part of the Thrashers Score for Schools education program on Wednesday, December 17th. They conducted hockey clinics for 3rd, 4th & 5th grade students from 8-11am then visited children in their classrooms, handing out Score for Schools giveaway items.

Score for Schools, sponsored by Philips, uses elements of hockey to teach aspects of physical education, math, and science in grades 4-6 with bonus sections in geography, history, world cultures and language arts. This FREE program offers lessons tied to Georgia's Performance Standards and is endorsed by the Georgia Department of Education. Participating teachers and schools have a chance to win great incentives, tickets to a Thrashers game or a visit by Thrash and our Hockey Development team. For more information, please visit www.thrashersscoreforschools.com.

Thrashers and Hawks Participate in Traveler's Aid Holiday Adopt-a-Family Program

The Atlanta Thrashers and Hawks teamed with Traveler's Aid to support their annual Holiday Adopt-a-Family program, which provides gifts of new clothes, toys, food and other items to low-income families in the Metro Atlanta Area during the holiday season. The Thrashers and Hawks contributed more than $25,000 to the Adopt-a-Family program.  Adopting a total of 83 families, every player, coach and general manager for both teams, along with the Hawks trainers, adopted one or more families.  On December 17th, Thrashers Executive Vice President and General Manager Don Waddell, along with Hawks Executive Vice President and General Manager Rick Sund helped distribute the gifts at the Traveler's Aid office.

Over the years, the Travelers Aid Adopt-A-Family program has allowed an opportunity for many selfless and compassionate people in the community to share in the holiday spirit by sponsoring - or adopting - single parent families, low-income families with children, or families in shelters. Without the support of so many sponsors and the tireless energy of so many volunteers, hundreds of residents in our community would experience much less happiness during the holiday season.  Video

Thrashers Visit Children's Hospitals

The Atlanta Thrashers made a special holiday visits to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, Hughes Spaulding and Scottish Rite on Monday, December 8. The players, coaches, Blue Crew members and Thrash spread holiday cheer by visiting with children, distributing special Thrashers teddy bears and other merchandise, and by signing autographs. The thrashers have made the visits an annual tradition and have been doing them since their inaugural season of 1999-2000. Photos | Video

Thrashers and Kia Motors Team Up For Toys For Tots

The Atlanta Thrashers are teaming-up with Kia Motors and the United States Marine Corps to assist underprivileged children in the Atlanta area this holiday season. Starting with home games from December 12th through December 20th at Philips Arena and at any of the Greater Metro Atlanta Kia Retailers from December 10th through December 21st, the teams will be collecting new unwrapped toys which will benefit the “Toys for Tots” program. Fans that donate a new, unwrapped toy will be able to receive a voucher good for two complimentary tickets to a Thrashers game (maximum: 2 vouchers per person). Fans can also make monetary donations ($10 min to receive voucher). Click here for details.

Kovalchuk and Teammate Host Kovy's Krew Event

Atlanta Thrashers forward Ilya Kovalchuk hosted a group of children from Show Me the Way Foundation, Gwinnett Children's Shelter and North Metro Miracle League at Jillian's – Discover Mills for a party and games on Tuesday, Nov. 18th as a part of his Kovy's Krew program. Thrashers teammate Slava Kozlov also joined the fun.

Kovy's Krew offers children living with cancer and those from disadvantaged circumstances the opportunity to visit Jillian's for an afternoon of arcade games, food, laughs and bowling with the Thrashers forward. The 2008-09 season marks the seventh year that Kovalchuk will provide this exciting experience at select times during the season. This special program, supported by Jillian's since its inception, gives children an experience they will never forget.

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Kovalchuk also donates his personal suite at Philips Arena for use by these and other organizations in Atlanta. In addition to Thrashers games, these special guests have been able to enjoy the Atlanta Hawks and other exciting shows, special events or concerts. Video
 

Thrashers Host "Zebras Care" Meet and Greet

The Thrashers Foundation, in conjunction with the National Hockey League Officials Association, hosted a Zebras Care meet & greet on Thursday, November 6th at Philips Arena prior to their game vs. the New York Islanders. In their quest to bring joy to children across North America and to grow the great game of hockey, they have formed this charity in the hopes that it will provide the opportunity for underprivileged and sick children to meet many of their NHLOA members and to attend a National Hockey League game in person.

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The Thrashers brought out 2 families from Lekotek of Georgia, an organization that works with special needs children, for this unique experience. The NHL Officials hosted a meet & greet in their locker room, where the kids were each given a signed Officials jersey, NHL and Thrashers memorabilia. The families then were escorted out to the ice for a photo opportunity with the Officials, along with Thrash. After the meet & greet, they returned to their seats to enjoy the Thrashers game that evening.

The Atlanta Thrashers Foundation will continue to support Zebras Care, a great initiative that helps bring joy to deserving children. For more information on this program, go to www.nhlofficials.com.

Thrashers Host Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night

The Thrashers hosted their Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness night on Saturday, October 18th at Philips Arena during their game vs. the Buffalo Sabres. Hockey Fights Cancer, which is a joint charitable initiative by the National Hockey League and NHL Players' Association, is supported league-wide with the goal of raising awareness and funds for national and local organizations involved in cancer care and research.

Throughout the month of October, the Thrashers will support this initiative by players wearing Hockey Fights Cancer decals on the back of their helmets, in-game PSA's to promote the cause, the sale of Hockey Fights Cancer commemorative merchandise in Team Gear and on-air mentions by team broadcasters. To further promote this initiative, copies of the Reflections 2008 – The NHL Hockey Year In Photographs, autographed by the Thrashers assistant captains, will be auctioned on nhl.com in October.

During the game on the 18th, the Thrashers hosted over 300 children & families from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta in conjunction with CURE Childhood Cancer & Curing Kids Cancer, providing them with both suite & regular tickets. The families participated in a variety of events, including a pre-game Thrasherville clinic, 50/50 raffle, penalty box and zamboni ride experiences plus much more.
 

Hockey Fights Cancer Photos

In addition, the Thrashers supported Hockey Fights Cancer that evening by hosting concourse tables from both St. Jude Children's Research Hospital & American Cancer Society as well as promoting it at their Foundation silent auction table. The Thrashers GM, coaching staff, broadcasters and mascot all wore lavender Hockey Fights Cancer ties during the game to raise awareness of this initiative. The Atlanta Thrashers Foundation will continue to support Hockey Fights Cancer and local charitable organizations that support this cause year round.

Thrashers Foundation Golf Tournament Raises Over $100,000

The Thrashers held their annual Atlanta thrashers Foundation Golf Tournament on Oct. 6 at Hamilton Mills in Dacula, GA and raised over $100,000 in the process thanks to the generosity of the team sponsors. Read all about it.

Havelid's Helpers Donate $10,000

As part of the Havelid's Helpers program, which is presented and supported by UPS, Atlanta Thrashers defenseman Niclas Havelid and Assistant Coach Steve Weeks participated in a Gwinnett Habitat for Humanity home build on Thursday, Sept. 11, along with Atlanta Thrashers employees and volunteers from UPS.

In addition to participating in the build, Havelid, who was the 2007-08 recipient of the Thrashers Gilner-Reeves Community Service Award, presented Gwinnett Habitat for Humanity with a $10,000 check on behalf of the Atlanta Thrashers Foundation.

Photo Gallery: Havelid's Helpers Home Build

The house, like all homes built by Gwinnett Habitat, is EarthCraft certified, which is better for the environment and energy efficient, making it more affordable for the family to maintain.

Havelid's Helpers, a partnership between UPS and Havelid, was developed prior to the 2006-07 season to create opportunities for Havelid, his Thrashers teammates and UPS employees to collectively volunteer at select Atlanta area Habitat home builds and other community projects in an effort to improve living arrangements for those with sub-standard housing.

Eric Boulton Helps Distribute Backpacks

Atlanta Thrashers forward Eric Boulton was on hand at the Agape Community Center on Friday, August 1 to hand out backpacks and present a $10,000 check on behalf of the Atlanta Thrashers Foundation. Boulton helped distribute backpacks filled with school supplies for children in the Atlanta area. In addition to providing 400 backpacks, the Atlanta Thrashers Foundation has given the Agape Community Center a $10,000 grant to support its GOGIRLGO! program.

Photo Gallery: Eric Boulton Visits Agape Community Center

Since being founded 10 years ago, the Agape Community Center has become a well-known model in Atlanta for successfully building communities and strengthening families. The Center's mission is to conduct community outreach in a holistic way.

The Atlanta Thrashers Foundation is dedicated to supporting Georgia-based organizations committed to improving the lives of children. The Foundation will work with children's charities and programs that focus on the areas of health, wellness, education and youth hockey development. Since its inception in 1999, the Thrashers Foundation has granted $2.85 million in overall donations and charitable contributions to more than 1,700 charities throughout Georgia.

 

Thorburn at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Rehab Summer Games

Atlanta Thrashers forward Chris Thorburn was on hand for the annual Children's Healthcare of Atlanta “Rehab Summer Games”, which took place at Philips Arena on Monday, July 28 from 9:30 a.m. – noon. The “Rehab Summer Games” allowed more than 350 area children to compete in various events such as basketball, wheelbarrow races, tricycle races, dance contests, obstacle courses and more.

The Games are a unique and motivational way to incorporate therapy goals into a patient's summer activities. The patients train hard during physical, occupational and speech therapy sessions and the Games give them a chance to show off all of their skills.

Thorburn was on hand to meet the children and their families, play games and sign autographs during the event.

"It's so inspiring to see these kids working to come back from injuries and illnesses and having fun while they do it," Thorburn said afterwards. "Everyone was out there having a good time and it's a privilege for me to be able to be a part of it. The kids were great and I was glad I could be a part of their day by giving something back to the community."

 This was the ninth annual event for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and the sixth consecutive year that Philips Arena has hosted the event.

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