Media invited to watch Hurricanes players to deliver fall grant checks Wednesday

RALEIGH, NC— Doug Warf, Community Relations Manager for the Carolina Hurricanes and Executive Director of the Carolina Hurricanes Kids ‘N Community Foundation, announced today that the Kids ‘N Community Foundation has completed its fall grant process, and will donate $357,925 to 17 different local charitable organizations that benefit the children of the Triangle and North Carolina.

On Wednesday, Hurricanes players Matt Cullen, Cam Ward, John Grahame and Tim Gleason will personally deliver checks to three of the organizations that were selected to receive grants from the Kids ‘N Community Foundation. Ward and Cullen will be visiting the Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood (9003 Weston Parkway in Cary) at 1:30 p.m. and Interact’s YES Program at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School (2600 Rock Quarry Rd., Raleigh) at 2:30 p.m. Both events are open to the media. Grahame and Gleason will be delivering a check to Wake Teen Medical Services, but the event is not open to the public.

The fall grant cycle is the first of two grant cycles for the 2007-08 year, and the Kids ‘N Community Foundation hopes to set a record for in-cash donations this season by surpassing $500,000. With more than $350,000 of in-cash donations for the fall cycle alone, the Foundation is well on its way to meeting its goal. The biggest recipients of grants during this cycle were the YMCA of the Triangle Area, Rex Hospital and Pines of Carolina Girl Scout Council.

Other organizations that benefited from Kids ‘N Community donations included Prevent Blindness North Carolina, Friends of Guardian Ad Litem, National MS Society – North Carolina Chapter, United Arts Council of Raleigh & Wake County, Nash County Arts Council, Special Olympics North Carolina, Literacy Council of Wake County, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Wake Education Partnership, Miracle Ministries Inc. and Boys and Girls Club of Wake County. 

The Carolina Hurricanes Kids ‘N Community Foundation provides much needed funding to children’s charities and education programs throughout North Carolina. With ongoing support from annual special events and the corporate community, the Foundation has funded scholarship programs, youth hockey, educational and literacy efforts, children’s health programs, the arts and other children’s related initiatives. Annually, the Foundation provides cash and in-kind contributions of over $1 million to charitable and educational programs in North Carolina, such as Wake County Communities in Schools, Danialle Karmanos’ Work it Out Program, YMCA of the Triangle Area and the Boys and Girls Club. Every member of the Hurricanes organization is actively involved in community activities. The Hurricanes take great pride in the ability to have a positive impact in our state.