On Feb. 15, Canes rookie defenseman Justin Faulk and a group of Hurricanes staff members paid a visit to the Carolina Ale House in Cary. The visit served two very important purposes: the celebration of another successful season for the Capital City Crew youth hockey program and the promotion of the Hurricanes’ paper heart and magnet campaign that is currently taking place at Carolina Ale House locations throughout the state.

Ryan Kieras

The evening began with the Capital City Crew’s end-of-year banquet. The Capital City Crew is part of the NHL’s “Hockey is for Everyone” initiative and provides an opportunity for inner-city youth ages 8-14 to play ice hockey through partnerships with the Wake County Boys & Girls Clubs, Raleigh Youth Hockey Association (RYHA) and the Carolina Hurricanes. The program dedicates itself to enable all young people to reach their full potential on the ice and in the community.

This year’s banquet was held to celebrate the growth and accomplishments of the thirty-seven young men and women who were a part of the Capital City Crew this past season.  Also in attendance were the coaches, volunteers and family members that made the season and the program as a whole possible.

Each player had a chance to meet Justin, who made his way around the room taking pictures and signing autographs. The kids were clearly excited to have Justin there and were surprisingly not shy when it came to asking questions and sharing their thoughts on hockey and the Hurricanes. A group of players even went ahead and assured Justin that, in their opinion, he’s “better than Skinner.”

During the banquet, John Scott – the director of the program and a key reason behind its remarkable impact since its inception in 2009 – called each player to the front of the room where Justin presented them with a trophy for their hard work and commitment. A few of the players also received an additional award for their displays of leadership and dedication during their time with the team.

Following the trophy presentation, a handful of players took turns sharing their experiences with the Capital City Crew and discussing what the program has meant to them. Although the kids were slightly more reserved while sharing this info than they were when talking to Justin, it wasn’t hard for an outside observer to see how much they have enjoyed their time with the team and how eagerly they anticipate the start of the next season.

Overall, the banquet was a great way to honor the effort that each of the players put into this past season and recognize how far they’ve come both on and off the ice since their first practice back in October. It was a fun night for the kids, and a memorable experience for everyone involved.

For more information on the Capital City Crew, please click here to visit their website.

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Community: Record-Setting Numbers for Paper Hearts and Magnets Campaign
Monday, 02.20.2012 / 3:00 p.m.
By Elizabeth Biggerstaff

The 5th Annual Carolina Ale House Paper Hearts and Magnets campaign kicked off on Monday, Feb. 6 with an astounding 1,000 paper hearts sold. Over this past weekend, the campaign hit a record-setting $17,000 worth of hearts and paper magnets sold.

Elizabeth Biggerstaff

This incredible donation directly impacts the children in our area and help to further our goal to increase the amount of cash grants given to local youth organizations. I enjoy seeing that people in our community are donating to the Foundation and allowing our organization to give back even more.

Area Carolina Ale Houses sell paper hearts for a donation of $1 and Carolina Hurricanes magnets for a donation of $3 to the Kids ‘N Community Foundation. So, whether you are out to eat for the night or catching some of a game at the Carolina Ale House, please make sure to be part of our campaign by making a donation!

On Wednesday, Feb. 15, rookie defenseman Justin Faulk stepped in to the Carolina Ale House in Cary to sell paper hearts and visit with the community.

I hope to see continuous support from everyone as the campaign lasts for nearly 10 more days, through the end of February.  Without all of the generous people in our community, the Kids ‘N Community Foundation would not exist.

For the latest on the Kids 'N Community Foundation, please visit their microsite. Also be sure to check out the Community video page for more content.

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