Monsters Donate to Five Organizations with the Help of MHC Members
Jan 29, 2020The Monsters Community Foundation celebrated the team’s 500th home game in a unique fashion by embracing the “power of five” with $500 donations to five different organizations. The donations coincided with this season’s Monsters Hockey Club Appreciation Night and the organizations chosen by the Monsters’ front office were suggested by members with personal connections to each group.
“We knew coming into this game that we wanted to do something special and really have our Monsters Hockey Club Members input on who and where we gave back to,” said Director of Marketing and Communications Ben Adams. “We received over 30 suggestions from the Members and appreciated the chance to see what they were passionate about. It was a difficult process to narrow the list down to only five organizations, but we were excited to learn more about the ones that were selected and establish a relationship with them.”
Ben Curtis Family Foundation
The Ben Curtis Family Foundation was founded by Kent, Ohio, native and PGA golfer Ben Curtis along with his wife Candace after they realized the reality of childhood hunger, especially in their own community.
Alongside a number of local schools in Ravenna, Kent and Barberton, they developed a ‘Birdie Bag’ to be sent home with children in need during different points of the year. According to the foundation, there have been over 60,000 Birdie Bags distributed that contain nine healthy meals and six snacks as well as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, a toothbrush and toothpaste.
“Their goal is to alleviate childhood hunger and that is near and dear to my heart,” said Loralie Heim, the MHC member who nominated the program. “It is all from my hometown starting at one elementary school in Kent and now has grown to multiple school districts. I have raised money with them before through golf outings, so any chance I try to help them. They were the first to pop in my head [to nominate], and I was very excited when I got the email that it was chosen.”
Bishop Cosgrove Center
The Bishop Cosgrove Center operates under the wing of the Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland as a haven for community members in Northeast Ohio who may be experiencing trying circumstances. It is one of the largest day drop-in centers in the Greater Cleveland area and provides compassion in a time of need while also encouraging self-sufficiency.
The center provides a wide variety of services including hot meals, shower facilities and assistance with eyeglass rentals and utility. They also assist in other needs such as mail distribution, the obtainment of birth certificates and state identification cards, and host a variety of recreational activities. The center also helps the community with referrals to employment and training programs, offering physical and mental health screenings along with aiding veterans with housing and benefits.
Flat Rock Care Center
The Flat Rock Care Center is a home that provides service to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families and others with critical needs. With a history dating back to 1865, the Flat Rock Home has served the community in many ways starting as an orphanage before transitioning to providing the services they now offer in 1978.
The Flat Rock Care Center has the ability to house 34 residents whose diagnoses include autism, down syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder and bipolar disorder among others according to the organization. In 1992, the Flat Rock Community Services Program was added in order to provide persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities an opportunity to live in a community setting as independently as possible.
The Pink Pillow Project
The Pink Pillow Project was founded by two friends who were affected by breast cancer: Nancy, a two-time breast cancer survivor, and Lisa whose mother passed away from the disease. During Nancy’s second battle with breast cancer, she began to look for a pillow to help her following surgery and tried many before she found the perfect one. Nancy began to share her pillow with others and discovered a greater need for them in the community.
Deciding to work on a larger scale, Nancy and Lisa worked together to create the Pink Pillow Project. Individuals found the pillows to be useful both in post-surgical recovery and during chemotherapy treatments. According to Nancy and Lisa on the Pink Pillow site, “This small gesture, focused on the individual directly impacted by this diagnosis, and at a time when support is most needed, is what we are dedicated to do.”
Youth Challenge
Located in Westlake, Ohio, the Youth Challenge aims to bring together participants facing physical disabilities ranging in age from 4 to 25 with teen volunteers through sports and recreation. According to the program, there are over 450 teen volunteers and over 225 participants with a wide variety of physical disabilities including spina bifida and cerebral palsy.
The organization offers over 400 activities throughout the year that include adaptive sports as well as arts and recreation equipment that capture participant’s interests. As an added help to the participants and their families, all the programs and transportation are completely free.
“[Youth Challenge] is an organization that my daughter Caitlin has been in since she was about three years old,” said Cindy Semler, the MHC member who nominated the program. “They are great with the kids and give them a lot of opportunities. They also provide transportation to and from the program at absolutely no charge for the family. I know they have a lot of vans and use a lot of fuel, so I saw [this chance with the Monsters] and thought they were perfect for a donation.”