ECHL Ontario Reign

Fredricks Honored with ECHL Community Service Award

Published on March 30, 2012 under ECHL (ECHL)
Ontario Reign News Release


ONTARIO, Calif.- The Ontario Reign, proud affiliate of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings, is very proud to announce that defenseman, Jason Fredricks has been selected by the league as the ECHL Community Service Award recipient.

Fredricks, 25, is in his second season with the team and has always made time to give back to those in the surrounding communities. In addition to attending every scheduled team appearance, Fredricks has ventured out to appear at schools, hospitals, and animal shelters on his own time. With each visit he makes, Fredricks always introduces himself to the organizer and leaves his information for any future appearances he can make or events he can contribute to somehow.

"I started doing volunteer work when I was growing up, being involved with 4-H [a youth development organization] and a small-town youth hockey organization, where volunteer work was essential to keeping the program running," Fredricks said about his roots in community service. The high school he attended also required 40 hours of volunteer work per academic year.

"From these younger life experiences, the importance of volunteer work was instilled within me and I continue to try to give back to the local communities that I live in and it also helps make me who I am today."

The Eagle River, Wisc. native has volunteered an impressive 40 hours throughout this season and has travelled to as far as cities more than 36 miles away. Fredricks made the most of his time on the injury reserve at the beginning of the season and used it to sign autographs during a game and at a San Antonio Community Hospital blood drive. During the holidays, he spent an afternoon feeding the homeless Thanksgiving meals and helping the Brains and Brawn organization with a Christmas tree loading and delivery event.

While home for the holidays, Fredricks spent time practicing with a local high school's junior varsity and varsity hockey teams, even making a road trip to help behind the bench. In addition to working with Northland Pines High School, he attended the practices of youth and girls hockey teams, and taught at a learn-to-skate program.

Fredricks has attended a Gameworks party for the Reign's Kid's Club members and at Fiesta Village Fun Park to interact with the kids, sign autographs and take pictures. Some of the Kids Club members were given donated memberships and are residents of the Loma Linda University Children's Hospital where Fredricks has visited for two seasons. The defenseman shone at Danbury School when he played and interacted with children who suffer from physical disabilities and other health impairments.

Throughout the season, Fredricks has also volunteered to appear in two, Reign sponsor commercials and to make player calls in the Reign front office to season ticket holders to personally thank them for their continued support.

During Read Across America week, Fredricks was the only player that appeared on both days off at local elementary schools to talk about his college experience and the importance of higher education and to read to students, parents and faculty. Most recently after returning from a road trip, he attended a school assembly that same day to promote healthy, active living and the role of safety, respect and responsibility in sports as well as in life.




ECHL Stories from March 30, 2012


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