Carkner named Penguins' Man of the Year
April 3, 2007 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release
WILKES-BARRE, PA - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are proud to announce that defenseman Matt Carkner has been named the team's winner of the American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Northeast Pennsylvania community during the 2006-07 season.
Carkner has spearheaded two important initiatives this season, raising the spirits of local children at the holidays and raising money for the fight against cancer.
Just a week into his stay with the AHL Penguins, Matt approached the team about continuing a program he had been a part of in Cleveland, called Carks' Kids. The idea was simple - provide a group of underprivileged children with all the means for a happy holiday season.
Working through local branches of the United Way and the local Salvation Army, Carkner found a group of youngsters in need at the Kirby Family House, a temporary facility that houses families trying to get back on their feet after hardship. The group of approximately 20 children all submitted a list of three 'needs' and three 'wants'. Needs could be anything from winter clothing, school supplies, bedding or other items for the home, while wants ran the gamut from simple toys for toddlers to a bicycle.
Carkner then asked each of his teammates to adopt one of these children, with each purchasing all of the needs and as many wants as they could see fit to provide for their child.
Carkner and a group of teammates, along with team mascot Tux, surprised the kids at the Kirby Family House with a pre-holiday party in mid-December, where each child was presented with their gifts.
More recently, Carkner began a partnership with the American Cancer Society.
The defender posed for a poster for the ACS promoting cancer awareness which also displayed information on how to get involved with the fight against the disease.
Carkner also wore a special warm-up jersey prior to the Penguins' home game against the Hershey Bears on March 30, then raffled off the one-of-a-kind sweater during the game. Additionally, three other raffles were run during the contest, featuring chances to shave Carkner's head, teammate Kurtis McLean's head and either Dennis Bonvie's or Jonathan Filewich's head at center ice.
More than $8,200.00 was raised during the March 30 contest, with all proceeds from the raffle being donated to the American Cancer Society.
In addition to these two individual efforts, Carkner also volunteered at the Penguins'/Red Cross Blood Drive in January, and has been involved with numerous team trips to local schools, where the players address issues from eating right and staying in school to staying away from drugs and alcohol.
In recognition of his efforts, Carkner will be presented with an etched crystal trophy during an on-ice presentation prior to an upcoming Penguins home game.
Carkner is now one of 27 finalists for the AHL's 2006-07 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, honoring the overall American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year. The league award is named after the former Hershey Bears forward and AHL All-Star who died in 1997 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. The winner of the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award will be announced later this month.
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